LIBEAEY 

Oi"  THK 

Theological  Seminary, 

PRINCETON,    N.  J. 


Case 
Shelf 
Book 


Divis.on.n)T.4.69_ 
Section  JrL2L£jffi 


\ 

Jt 

i 


TWELVE  MONTHS  IN  MADAGASCAR, 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2015 


https://archive.org/details/twelvemonthsinmaOOmull_0 


TWELVE  MONTHS 

IN 

MADAGASCAR. 


/ 

JOSEPH  MULLENS,  D.D., 

FOREIGN  SECRETARY  OF  THE  LONDON  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 


NEW  YORK: 
ROBERT  CARTER  &  BROTHERS, 

535  BKOADWAY. 

1875, 


PREFACE. 


In  adding  another  to  the  list  of  works  written  about 
Madagascar  I  have  been  anxious  to  confine  its  contents 
to  what  was  special  to  our  visit.  During  that  visit  my 
colleague  and  I  enjoyed  unusual  opportunities  of  observ- 
ing various  matters  relating  to  the  country  and  the  people 
in  the  principal  portions  of  the  island.  Being  deputed  to 
visit  the  Government  and  the  Churches,  by  those  who  had 
befriended  them  for  more  than  fifty  years,  we  were  cor- 
dially welcomed  everywhere,  and  were  permitted  to  see 
and  examine  all  we  wished.  The  portion  of  the  country 
which  we  visited  was  very  extensive.  We  saw  in  all 
their  length  and  breadth  the  two  Central  Provinces  of  the 
island,  Imerina  and  the  Betsileo :  we  visited  the  Sihanaka 
Province,  and  left  the  island  by  the  north-west  route  and 
the  Port  of  Mojanga.  Everywhere  we  came  into  closest 
contact  with  the  native  Churches  :  to  an  extent  that  no 
Englishman,  missionary  or  traveller,  had  ever  done  before. 

We  saw  the  religious  life  of  the  people  on  the  large 
scale ;  not  merely  in  its  details  in  a  single  locality  :  but  as 


vi  PEE  FACE. 

it  shows  itself  in  all  parts,  the  most  advanced  and  the 
most  ignorant.  We  can  say  much  on  the  things  we  saw 
in  various  localities.  We  can  also  testify  that  the  great 
religious  revolution,  which  is  said  to  have  taken  place  in 
Madagascar,  is  a  real  thing  :  that  it  has  affected  and 
improved  the  nation  most  powerfully  at  its  heart,  in  the 
Capital  and  Imerina :  and  that  its  effects  are  also  real  and 
truly  beneficial  far  away  in  the  interior,  and  even  at 
extreme  points  on  the  coast. 

We  shared  in  most  important  consultations  of  the  mis- 
sionaries, respecting  the  actual  position  of  things,  and  the 
form  and  extent  to  which  Christian  work  should  be 
carried  on  in  the  future.  We  were  in  constant  communi- 
cation with  the  members  of  the  Norwegian,  the  Friends', 
and  the  Medical  Missions.  We  held  most  pleasant  inter- 
course with  the  Authorities,  and  were  present  at  several 
important  public  gatherings.  We  were  honoured  with  a 
formal  reception  by  the  Queen  and  a  formal  farewell. 

Being  aware  of  great  defects  in  our  geographical  know- 
ledge of  the  interior  of  Madagascar,  we  prepared  ourselves 
before  leaving  England  to  gather  new  information.  In  all 
our  journeys  we  took  observations  :  and  we  have  prepared 
a  new  Map  of  the  Country  which  we  traversed.  Among 
the  special  results  of  this  geographical  exploration,  we 
may  note,  the  discovery  of  a  widespread  volcanic  region, 
including  a  hundred  extinct  craters;  the  delineation  of 


PREFACE.  vii 

Lake  Itasy ;  the  survey  of  the  Sihanaka  Province,  with  its 
fine  Lake  Alaotra ;  the  survey  of  the  Betsileo  Province 
and  of  the  District  of  Betafo  ;  and  that  of  the  route  to 
Mojanga. 

We  have  also  gathered  important  information  relative 
to  the  extent  of  the  population.  These  questions  were  in 
many  respects  new  to  ourselves ;  we  learned  much  respect- 
ing them :  and  that  information  we  now  lay  before  the 
many  friends  of  the  Mission. 

Though  deriving  great  help  from  the  observations  and 
views  of  my  colleague,  I  alone  am  responsible  for  the 
statement5;  contained  in  this  little  volume. 

I  will  only  add  that  in  the  pronunciation  of  the  many 
Malagasy  names  which  it  contains,  if  the  reader  will 
kindly  have  regard  to  the  accented  syllables  and  pro- 
nounce the  first  three  vowels  a,  e  and  i  as  the  Italians  do, 
and  the  vowel  o  as  they  pronounce  their  u,  he  will  not  go 
far  wrong. 

J.  M. 


Caxonbury.  March  29,  1875. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I 

WHY  AND  HOW  WE  WENT  TO  MADAGASCAR. 

Religious  Revolution  in  Madagascar — The  Idols  burned — Increased  Help 
sent  from  England  to  the  Mission — A  Deputation  appointed  to  visit  the 
Island — Our  Journey  thither — Marseilles — Naples — Fellow-passengers 
— The  Suez  Canal — Aden — The  Indian  Ocean — Mauritius — The  Bul- 
lockers — Passage  across — Tamatave  ;  the  Town,  Port,  and  Market — 
English  and  Native  Friends  — Sunday — The  Native  Churches  and  their 
Worship — Help  they  need — Importation  of  Rum  into  Madagascar  and 
its  evils— The  Trade  of  Madagascar  Pages  1-24 


CHAPTER  IT. 

FIRST  EXPERIENCES  OF  MADAGASCAR  AND  ITS  PEOPLE. 

East  Coast  of  Madagascar,  its  Character  and  Population — Supplies  needed 
by  a  Traveller  to  the  Capital — Our  Journey — Inland  Lagoons — Park- 
like  Scenery — Andevoranto — Ascend  the  Iharoka — "See  the  conquer- 
ing Hero  comes  " — The  Pass  of  Taniakdva — The  Sorrows  of  the  old 
Slave-system — System  of  our  Journey — The  great  Ridge  west  of 
Beforona — Scenery  of  the  Forest— The  Plain  of  Ankay — The  great 
Ridge  of  Angavo  and  its  Forest — The  Eastern  Valleys  of  Imerina — 
Our  Arrival  and  Reception — Population  of  the  East  Coast  scanty — 
First  Visits — The  City  empty — Why — Description  of  Antananarivo — 


CONTENTS. 

Origin,  Name,  and  Growth  of  the  City— Interest  of  the  Native 
Churches  in  our  Visit  Pages  25-49 


CHAPTEE  III. 

VISIT  TO  THE  BETSILEO  PROVINCE. 

The  Betsileo  Province,  its  importance  and  position — The  Mission  recent — 
J ourney  thither — The  Ankarat  Mountains,  their  breadth  and  height — 
Encamp  at  the  foot— The  Vava  Vato— BeUfo  and  Sirabd— The  Kiver 
Mania — Ambositra — Nandihizana — Ambohinamboarina — Ikala — The 
Matsiatra  River — Fianarantsoa — Visit  of  the  Queen  to  the  Province — 
Worship  in  the  Camp— Examination  of  the  Schools— The  Tanala— Our 
Visit  to  Ambohimandroso  and  Imahazony — The  Southern  Terrace  and 
hills — The  Ibara  Tribes — Ambdndrombe — The  Iarindrano — Fiana- 
rantsoa again — Ifanjakana — Latitudes  and  Heights — General  Conclu- 
sions concerning  the  Betsileo  Province  :  its  Population  and  Resources 
— Religious  condition — New  arrangements  of  the  Mission  for  its  In- 
struction— Return  to  the  Capital  Pages  51-98 


CHAPTEE  IV. 

RETURN  TO  THE  CAPITAL. 

Return  of  the  Queen  and  Military  Expeditions — Thunderstorm — Public 
entry  into  the  City  and  reception  by  the  People— Uniforms  and  cere- 
monies on  the  occasion — Reason  and  Course  of  the  War — Our  Inter- 
view with  the  Queen — Address  from  the  Directors — Rest  in  the  City 
— Home  at  Analakely — Visits  to  the  Institutions  in  the  City — Wor- 
ship with  the  Native  Churches  —Festival  of  the  Fandrdana — Visit  to 
Country  Missions  in  Imerina — Importance  of  these  Stations — Voni- 
zongo — The  District :  its  spirited  people  :  their  high  principle  :  many 
of  them  Martyrs — Position  of  an  English  Missionary  in  these  Districts 
— Ambohimanga — Journey  thither  across  country — A  Royal  City  :  its 
sturdy  people  :  places  around  it — Ambatovory  :  its  beauty — Amba. 
tomena  and  its  People — Our  return  to  Antananarivo  Pages  99-128 


CONTENTS. 


XI 


CHAPTEE  V. 

HOW  IT  STRIKES  A  STRANGER. 

Settling  in  the  Capital — My  Madagascar  Home — Prospect  over  Imerina — 
Family  Life  and  Housekeeping — Our  Servants — The  Garden — Weather, 
Thunderstorms — Beauty  of  Imerina — The  great  City  Market  :  Food, 
Dress  and  Manufactures  Sold — Low  Prices — Money — Settlements  of 
the  European  Families — Roads — Our  Dress — The  Sun — The  Palace — 
Social  Life  in  the  Capital — Lack  of  External  Stimulus — Sources  from 
which  it  may  be  supplied — Memorial  Church  at  Faravohitra — The 
Martyrs  who  suffered  there  —  Conference  of  Missionaries  held  in 
January — Topics  discussed — Resolutions  and  Arrangements — Con- 
cluding Meeting — Important  Re-arrangements  resulting  from  it — Love 
of  the  Bible  among  the  People — The  Churches  in  the  City — Opening 
of  the  Memorial  Church  at  Ampamarinana  Pages  129-155 

CHAPTEE  VI. 

THE  LAND  AND  THE  PEOPLE  OF  MADAGASCAR. 

The  East  Coast  of  the  Island— The  West  Coast^Travels  of  M.  Grandidier 
— Maps  of  Madagascar — Mr.  Cameron's  Survey — Additions  made  by 
us — Size  of  Madagascar — The  Mountain-mass  along  its  centre — Ter- 
races on  all  sides — The  Malagasy  people  a  single  race — Their  Three 
Tribes  and  their  Sub-divisions — The  Malagasy  not  an  African  race — 
Their  Malay  origin — Evidence  supplied  by  their  Language — New 
Words  from  Arabic,  French  and  English — Reference  to  Madagascar 
by  Marco  Paolo — Early  Navigation  of  the  Eastern  Seas  very  exten- 
sive— Phoenician,  Hindu,  Chinese  and  Malay — Madagascar  colonised 
by  Malays — Three  independent  Movements — Traditions  of  the  Hovas — 
Their  Arrival  in  Imerina — Conquest  of  the  Vazimba — Increase  in 
Imerina — Their  recent  History — Ralambo  and  his  Descendants — 
Impoin  and  his  consolidation  of  the  KLingdom — Rad^ma — State  of  the 
Country,  of  Social  Life  and  of  the  Sakalava  Tribes  in  his  day — The 
people  still  a  federation  of  tribes — Their  Institutions — Their  steady 
growth  in  Civilisation,  as  well  as  in  ReHgious  Character ..  .Pages  158-188 


xii 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTEE  VII. 

LAKE  ITASY  AND  THE  VOLCANIC  REGION. 

South  Border  of  Imerina — Hill  of  Antongona — Arivonimamo,  the  old 
Capital — Great  number  of  beautiful  hills — Miadana  Manjaka — Lake 
Itasy — The  Mandridrano — Religious  knowledge  of  the  people — The 
grass  of  Madagascar — Numerous  craters  and  crater-lakes — Mahatsinjo 
and  its  people — Vinany  hill — Kitsamby  river — Antoby — The  Vava 
Vato — Norwegian  Missions — Menabe — Betafo  and  Sirabe — Volcanoes 
— Hot  springs  and  Limepits — Votovorona — The  East  of  Ankarat — 
Andraraty — Our  return — "Western  Imerina — Ambohiveloma — The 
Farahantsana  :  falls  of  the  Ikopa  Pages  189-226 

CHAPTEE  VIII. 

THE  SIHANAKA  PROVINCE  AND  PEOPLE. 

Special  reason  for  a  visit  to  this  Province — Crossing  the  Granite  Moors — 
Basin  of  the  Mananara — Anjozorobe  and  its  People — Spend  Sunday 
with  them — "The  Gate  of  Rock" — The  Wilderness  of  Ankay— 
Capital  of  the  Sihanaka,  its  Governor  and  People — Christian  work 
and  the  Native  Pastor — Tour  round  the  District — Ambohidehilahy — 
Ambodin6noka — Petulance  of  our  Bearers — The  great  Swamp  and  its 
Reeds — Ambohitromby — Reception  at  Ambohipeno — Amparafaravola 
and  its  kind  Governor — A  Volcanic  Hill — Ambohijanahary — Ambohit- 
sara — Enquiries  about  the  Gun — The  Alaotra  Lake  and  the  Scenery 
around  it — Marosalazana  and  its  bright  Scholars — Memorials  of  the 
Dead — Whence  came  the  Sihanaka  People — How  they  became  Chris- 
tians— What  the  Gospel  is  doing  for  them — Form,  Extent  and  Popu- 
lation of  the  District  Pages  227-267 

CHAPTEE  IX. 

OUR  JOURNEY  TO  MOJANGA. 

Last  Meetings  in  the  Capital — Farewell  interview  with  the  Queen — De- 
parture to  Vonizongo — North  Vonizongo — Angavo — The  five  Garrison 


CONTENTS. 


xm 


Towns — Religious  condition  of  their  People — Crossing  the  Wilderness 
— No  man's  Land — The  Cataracts  of  the  Ikopa — Vast  deposits  of  Drift 
— Town  of  Mevatanana — Voyage  in  Canoes — Junction  of  the  Ikopa  and 
Betsiboka  Rivers — Amparihibe — Crocodiles  in  the  River — The  Level 
Plains — Town  of  Trabonjy,  its  Governor  and  People — Marovoay — Ar- 
rival at  Mojangi  :  Its  Churches  and  People — Religious  condition  of 
the  District — Trade  and  History  of  Mojanga  Pages  269-320 


CHAPTEE  X. 

OUR  RETURN  HOME. 

Domestic  Slavery  in  Madagascar — Ancient  Trade  in  Slaves — Radama's 
Treaty  with  Governor  Farquhar  well  observed — Similar  clause  in  the 
Treaty  of  1865 — Slaves  imported  nevertheless — Capture  of  Slaver  by 
the  Vulture — Successful  efforts  against  the  Slave  Trade — Recent  Pro- 
clamation of  the  Queen  of  Madagascar — Our  return  Home — The  new 
Bishopric  in  Madagascar — Its  aggressive  attitude  and  spirit — God's 
care  of  His  people  Pages  321-334 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGE 

Antananarivo  :  Church  at  Ampamarinana    .    to  face  Title-page. 

Ford  of  the  Mandraka                                        to  face  page  40 

Town  of  Fianaeantsoa           .         .         .             „      „  67 

Falls  of. the  Ikopa       .         .         .         .             „      „  225 

Tuetle-head  Rock — Ambatomalaza     ....  54 

tsi-afak-afo  fbom  the  west    .         .         .         .  58 

Mr.  Pearse's  House      .         .         .         .         .         .  m 

Martyr's  Cave  .         .          .          .          .          .          .  119 

The  Queen's  Eesidence          .....  143 

Stone  Gate  at  Ariyoni}IA3io    .         .         .         .         .  193 

Gateway  of  Poles— Mevatanana       ....  300 


CHAPTEE  I. 


WHY  AND  HOW  WE  WENT  TO  MADAGASCAR. 


Religious  Eevolution  in  Madagascar — The  Idols  burned — Increased  Help 
sent  from  England  to  the  Mission — A  Deputation  appointed  to  visit  the 
Island — Our  Journey  thither — Marseilles — Naples — Fellow-passengers 
— The  Suez  Canal — Aden — The  Indian  Ocean — Mauritius — The  Bul- 
lockers — Passage  across — Tamatave  ;  the  Town,  Port,  and  Market — 
English  and  Native  Friends  — Sunday — The  Native  Churches  and  their 
Worship — Help  they  need — Importation  of  Rum  into  Madagascar  and 
its  evils — The  Trade  of  Madagascar. 


A 


TWELVE  MONTHS  IN  MADAGASCAR, 


CHAP  TEE  I. 


WHY  AND  HOW  WE  WENT  TO  MADAGASCAR. 


Ox  the  8th  of  September  1869,  a  religious  revolution  took 
place  in  Madagascar.  The  priests  and  diviners  of  the  idol 
Kelimalaza  came  to  the  Queen,  and  urged  that,  like  her 
predecessors,  she  should  again  take  the  idol  into  her 
palace,  and  place  her  whole  kingdom  under  its  protection. 
The  Queen  had,  from  the  commencement  of  her  reign, 
eighteen  months  before,  taken  her  stand  as  a  Christian ; 
and  in  the  previous  February,  in  the  presence  of  her 
people,  had  been  baptized  as  a  Christian.  Her  husband, 
the  Prime  Minister,  and  an  influential  body  of  nobles  and 
officers,  had  adopted  the  same  faith :  and  Christianity  was 
making  great  strides  among  her  subjects  generally.  The 
keepers  of  the  three  national  idols  had  in  consequence 
been  deposed  from  their  position  as  keepers  of  the  ruler's 
conscience,  as  directors  of  lucky  and  unlucky  days,  and  as 
instigators  of  the  persecutions,  from  which  the  land  had 
suffered  great  harm.    They  had  also  deen  deprived  of  their 


4 


WHY  WE  WENT  TO  MADAGASCAR. 


special  privileges.  They  were  no  longer  Andrians,  en- 
titled to  the  scarlet  umbrella,  exempt  from  the  jurisdiction 
of  the  ordinary  Courts,  and  having  the  power  of  life  and 
death  over  their  own  clan ;  they  were  simply  Hovas,  and 
were  bound  to  render  to  their  sovereign  that  feudal  service, 
to  which  all  other  members  of  the  tribe  were  subject.  All 
this  was  trying  enough.  Men,  who  have  long  enjoyed 
exclusive  privileges  at  others'  expense,  are  usually  dis- 
satisfied when  their  vested  interests  are  set  aside  without 
compensation.  And  when,  in  the  month  of  June,  the 
Queen  laid  the  foundation  of  her  Chapel  Eoyal,  and  sum- 
moned these  priestly  families  to  do  their  share  in  building 
it,  they  made  a  last  desperate  attempt  to  recover  their 
former  position.  They  came  to  the  Queen  and  urged  her 
to  place  the  land  under  the  idols  once  more. 

The  occasion  was  felt  to  be  an  important  one.  There 
was  a  hurried  consultation.  A  large  number  of  officers 
was  summoned  ;  and  a  discussion  commenced  among  them 
as  to  how  the  difficulty  should  be  met.  A  happy  sug- 
gestion offered  by  one  of  them,  that  the  idols  should  be 
burned,  was  heartily  approved  by  all.  Due  authority  was 
given  by  the  Queen,  and  several  officers  were  at  once  dis- 
patched on  horseback  to  the  village  where  the  chief  idol 
was  kept.  Arrived  at  the  idol-house,  the  leader  went  in 
-and  brought  the  idol  out,  "Whose  idol  is  this  ?"  he  asked 
of  the  bystanders.  "It  belongs  to  the  Queen,"  was  their 
reply.  "  If  this  idol  be  mine,"  saith  Eanavalo-manjaka, 
"I  need  it  not:  let  it  be  burned."  And  burned  it  was, 
with  all  its  trappings,  to  their  consternation  and  grief. 
The  other  royal  idols  shared  the  same  fate. 

The  event  produced  a  profound  sensation  throughout  the 


WHY  WE  WEXT  TO  MADAGASCAR. 


5 


country.  By  the  theory  and  the  practice  of  Malagasy 
public  life,  the  Queen  had  a  perfect  right  to  decide  as  she 
had  done.  But  her  subjects  were  not  behind  their  sove- 
reign. Public  opinion  had  been  rapidly  ripening  on  the 
subject,  and  there  was  no  hesitation  as  to  the  course  that 
should  be  followed.  The  next  day,  all  over  Irnerina,  the 
private  idols  of  villages  and  families  were  also  brought 
forth :  bundles  of  clothes  and  charms,  round  which  the 
superstitious  fears  of  many  generations  had  clustered,  were 
committed  to  the  flames ;  and  soon  a  little  heap  of  ashes 
was  all  that  remained  of  the  outward  symbols  of  a  faith 
that  had  been  held  by  the  Malagasy  races  since  their  first 
fathers  landed  on  the  island.  The  revolt  from  the  system 
was  complete.  From  all  quarters  came  the  inquiry, 
"  Whom  does  the  Queen  worship  ?  How  is  that  worship 
conducted  ?  What  are  we  to  do  ? "  From  all  quarters 
was  heard  the  request,  "  Send  us  teachers  :  send  us  books." 
Chapels  were  hastily  erected  all  over  the  province,  even  in 
remote  villages.  And  the  resources  of  the  native  Churches, 
of  the  English  Mission,  and  of  the  Mission  Press,  were 
taxed  to  the  utmost  to  supply  the  nation's  wants. 

Profound  as  was  the  sensation  produced  by  the  burning 
of  the  idols  abroad,  it  was  not  less  deeply  felt  at  home. 
The  greatness  of  the  event  was  discerned :  its  spiritual 
significance  was  instantly  appreciated.  No  such  event  had 
occurred  in  the  history  of  Christendom  before :  no  such 
multitude  of  willing  men  and  women  had  ever  knocked 
for  admission  at  the  Church's  door  in  a  single  year.  It 
was  the  fruit  of  the  long  and  painful  persecution  of  twenty- 
eight  years.  It  was  the  fruit  of  the  faithfulness  of  the 
martyrs,  dead  and  living,  upon  whose   sufferings  and 


6 


WHY  WE  WENT  TO  MADAGASCAR. 


(fidelity  all  Christendom  had  looked  with  sympathy.  It 
was  the  answer  to  the  thousands  of  prayers  which  those 
sufferings  had  called  forth. 

'  The  case  was  thoroughly  appreciated.  A  few  enthusiasts 
might  talk  of  Madagascar  as  christianized,  and  think  it 
needed  Christian  help  no  longer.  But  the  Committees  of 
Missionary  Societies,  the  men  who  have  been  dealing  with 
the  practical  life  of  heathen  nations  for  many  years,  and 
have  been  studying  the  many  problems  involved  in  their 
redemption,  were  not  likely  to  make  that  mistake.  A  new 
born  child  is  not  the  educated,  thoughtful,  self-denying 
man,  he  some  day  may  be.  With  his  birth  and  growth 
the  trials  and  responsibilities  of  parents  begin.  Many  a 
missionary  has  found  that  his  work  in  instructing  the 
heathen  was  as  nothing,  compared  with  the  labour,  anxiety 
and  trial,  which  fell  to  his  lot,  when  he  began  to  gather 
converts  around  him,  and  by  God's  help  endeavoured  to 
train  them  to  holiness  and  trust,  while  "the  world,  the 
flesh,  and  the  devil"  were  drawing  them  back  again  to 
evil.  With  the  thankfulness  and  congratulations  which 
this  great  change  inspired  in  the  friends  of  the  Imerina 
Mission,  it  was  felt  that  new  duties  of  a  most  serious  kind 
devolved  upon  them;  and  the  Directors  of  the  London 
Missionary  Society,  who  had  maintained  that  mission  and 
had  aided  the  Malagasy  Churches  for  more  than  fifty  years, 
determined  without  delay  to  enlarge  the  mission  by  all  the 
agencies  which  the  crisis  called  for.  Large  sums  of  money 
were  contributed  almost  unasked  ;  and  within  the  five/ 
j  years  that  have  since  elapsed  twenty  English  missionaries! 
;  have  been  added  to  the  staff  previously  labouring  in  the) 
island.    It  was  resolved  to  commence  new  stations,  and 


WHY  WE  WENT  TO  MADAGASCAR. 


7 


to  enlarge  and  strengthen  the  Theological  and  Normal 
Schools ;  to  increase  and  stimulate  general  education ;  and 
to  make  the  Press  more  efficient.  Other  Christian  mis- 
sions, working  in  cordial  co-operation  with  the  London 
Missionary  Society,  were  enlarged  at  the  same  time. 

Nothing  could  be  more  desirable  than  that  these  in- 
creased agencies  should  be  carefully  applied  so  as  to 
produce  the  largest  amount  of  good.  Especially  was  it 
felt  to  be  important  that  every  English  missionary,  ex- 
pected to  be  a  fountain  of  wisdom  and  of  spiritual  power 
to  the  simple  people  around  him,  should  be  located  in  a 
position  that  would  call  forth  all  his  strength,  and  give  to 
his  abilities  and  influence  the  widest  scope.  As  time 
went  on  it  seemed  increasingly  difficult  to  secure  these 
important  ends.  Much  as  we  heard  from  abroad,  and 
much  as  we  wrote  to  Madagascar  from  London,  it  grew 
more  plain  that  no  amount  of  correspondence  would  suffice 
to  convey  to  us  and  to  them  all  the  information  as  to  details 
which  it  was  desirable  for  each  side  to  know ;  especially 
when  that  correspondence  was  frequently  interrupted  and 
delayed  by  its  transit  through  one  of  the  most  inefficient 
mail -services  known  to  the  civilised  world,  the  service 
between  Bourbon  and  Madagascar.  The  conviction  grew 
that  nothing  would  suffice  for  the  accomplishment  of  our 
purpose,  nothing  would  supply  all  missing  links  and  make 
co-operation  complete,  but  that  two  or  three  Directors  of 
the  Society  should  proceed  to  the  island,  and  that  the 
missionaries  and  these  Directors,  as  "  friends  in  council," 
should  together  shape  the  new  scheme,  which  the  enlarged 
mission  imperatively  required.  It  was  felt  to  be  an 
additional  advantage  that,  by  visiting  the  island,  the 

i 


8  WHY  WE  WENT  TO  MADAGASCAR. 


members  of  such  a  deputation  would  have  an  opportunity 
of  meeting  the  native  pastors  and  native  churches,  and  of 
assuring  them  both  of  the  warm  affection  in  which  they 
were  still  held  by  their  old  friends,  and  of  the  gladness 
with  which  they  would  still  be  aided  in  their  new  and 
pressing  wants.  The  Eev.  John  Pillans  of  Camberwell,  a 
Director  of  the  Society,  and  myself  were  honoured  with 
the  appointment ;  and  after  several  impressive  services,  in 
which  we  were  affectionately  commended  to  the  divine 
protection,  and  the  divine  blessing  was  sought  on  our 
expedition,  we  set  out  on  our  journey.  Mrs.  Pillans  also 
accompanied  us. 

A  pleasant  day  between  Paris  and  Lyons,  followed  by  a 
hot  and  weary  night,  brought  us  to  Marseilles,  our  port  of 
embarkation.  Marseilles  is  now  a  great  city,  with  six 
hundred  thousand  inhabitants  ;  and  its  new  streets,  in 
solidity,  breadth,  and  grandeur,  compare  favourably  with 
those  of  Paris.  The  trade  passing  through  the  city  is 
enormous.  Its  new  quay  and  harbour  are  crowded  with 
steamers,  which  connect  it  by  commercial  ties  with  all  the 
ports  of  the  Mediterranean  and  the  Black  Sea,  and  which 
in  recent  years  have  extended  their  lines  to  India,  China, 
and  Japan;  while,  conspicuous  to  all  eyes,  on  its  rocky 
hill,  stands  the  church  of  Notre  Dame  de  la  Garde,  the 
shrine  at  which  the  sailors  of  Marseilles  have  registered 
their  vows  and  paid  their  thanks,  from  the  day  when,  two 
thousand  five  hundred  years  ago,  the  Greek  colonists  of 
Phocsea  founded  the  city  of  Massilia,  and  erected  their  first 
temple.  Perhaps  no  shrine  in  Europe  can  boast  of  such  a 
long  and  unbroken  line  of  worshippers. 

Our  steamer  was  the  Amazone,  of  the  fleet  of  the  Mes- 


WHY  WE  WENT  TO  MADAGASCAR. 


9 


sageries  Maritimes,  a  noble  vessel  of  2000  tons,  bound  for 
Shanghai  and  carrying  the  Eastern  mails.  We  found  her 
accommodations  excellent ;  large  cabins,  a  good  table, 
attentive  servants,  an  obliging  captain,  efficient  officers, 
and  a  most  muscular  crew.  What  a  mixture  of  nations 
we  found  among  our  fellow-passengers !  There  were 
Spaniards,  French,  Portuguese,  English,  Italians,  and 
J apanese.  Our  Japanese  companions  were  members  of  thej 
Commission  which  had  been  visiting  the  Vienna  Exhibi-/ 
tion. 

We  started  from  the  jetty  punctually  at  ten,  on  the 
morning  of  the  6th  of  July.  With  a  smooth  sea  and 
clear  sky  we  passed  rapidly  through  the  Straits  of  Boni- 
facio, and  were  unexpectedly  gratified  by  a  brief  visit  to 
the  city  and  bay  of  Naples.  What  painter  can  do  full 
justice  to  the  delicate  hues  of  sea  and  sky  at  that  fair  spot? 
The  harbour  of  Hong  Kong  and  the  bay  of  New  York  are, 
in  their  finest  aspects  and  under  the  purest  skies,  truly 
beautiful ;  but  there  is  a  perfection  of  loveliness  in  the 
sheen  of  the  air,  the  play  of  the  colours,  and  the  trans- 
parent clearness  of  the  Bay  of  Naples  that  nothing  can 
surpass.  Leaving  Naples  at  nine  in  the  morning,  at 
sunset  we  were  close  to  Stromboli,  with  its  cindery  cone  ; 
and  at  midnight,  with  six  men  at  the  wheel,  the  Amazone 
passed  steadily  through  the  swirling  currents  of  the  Straits 
of  Messina,  under  a  magnificent  moon.  The  long  line  of 
lights  in  the  town  of  Messina,  the  dark  rocks  of  the 
Italian  coast,  with  Eeggio  at  their  feet ;  the  firing  of  the 
gun,  the  burning  of  the  blue  lights,  and  the  brilliant  night 
made  up  a  charming  scene.  We  saw  Candia  in  its  entire 
length,  with  Mount  Ida  and  its  line  of  rugged  hills  • 


30 


WHY  WE  WENT  TO  MADAGASCAR. 


passed  close  to  Gozo,  the  little  island  of  Clauda,  where  the 
apostle  Paul  and  his  companions  fell  into  the  hurricane ; 
and  at  sunrise  on  Saturday,  six  days  from  Marseilles, 
anchored  at  Port  Said,  the  entrance  to  the  Suez  Canal. 

There  came  on  board  at  Naples  a  number  of  gentlemen 
in  whom  we  felt  considerable  interest,  and  who  proved 
agreeable  companions.  They  were  silk  merchants  from 
various  cities  of  Italy,  engaged  in  the  endeavour  to  restore 
the  Italian  silk-trade,  which  has  in  recent  years  been 
almost  ruined  by  disease  among  the  worms.  They  make 
an  annual  voyage  to  Japan,  and  bring  back  with  them 
enormous  quantities  of  the  best  silkworms'  eggs.  These 
are  stowed  in  a  special  compartment  of  the  vessel,  iced  to 
keep  them  cool,  and  a  heavy  freight  is  paid  for  the 
accommodation.  Our  new  passengers  were  a  tall,  manly 
body  of  men ;  many  of  them  had  the  unmistakeable 
Eoman  face  and  features ;  and  when  one  saw  them  at 
dinner,  enlivening  the  tedium  of  the  seven  courses  with 
the  hearty  laugh  and  witty  repartee,  one  felt  that  classical 
life  was  coming  home  very  freshly,  and  could  realise  it 
more  distinctly  than  before. 

We  were  charmed  with  the  Suez  Canal.  It  is  a  great 
work,  simply  but  effectually  done.  We  saw  the  powerful 
dredgers  busily  engaged  in  maintaining  its  depth;  we  passed 
steadily  through  it  without  a  hitch  ;  we  saw  with  interest 
the  little  stations ;  the  white  town  of  Ismailia,  with  its 
water-works  and  railway  station  ;  the  two  bitter  lakes,  no 
longer  dry ;  the  cuttings  through  low  hills  of  limestone 
and  gypsum  ;  and  at  length  entered  the  green  Bay  of 
Suez  at  its  southern  end.  Anchored  between  the  "  Foun- 
tains of  Moses  "  on  the  eastern  shore,  and  the  "  Eock  of 


WHY  WE  WENT  TO  MADAGASCAR. 


11 


Deliverance  "  on  the  west,  we  witnessed  one  of  the  most 
golden  sunsets  I  have  seen  in  the  Eastern  world.  This 
easy  passage  from  the  Eed  Sea  to  the  Mediterranean  has 
revolutionised  the  carrying  trade  of  the  East.  The  great 
fleets  of  sailing  ships  which  in  former  years  rounded  the 
Cape  with  the  silk  and  tea  of  China,  with  the  indigo  and 
jute,  the  sugar  and  tea,  the  silk  and  cotton  of  India,  the 
Ariel  and  Taeping,  the  Hotspur,  and  Renoiun,  and  City  of 
Calcutta,  and  their  companions,  of  which  the  mercantile 
world  was  justly  proud,  have  passed  away,  and  have 
given  place  to  lines  of  steamers  which  swarm  in  every 
port  of  the  Indian  seas,  and  which  at  small  expense  bring 
home  their  precious  cargoes  without  hindrance  through 
the  simple  green  lane  of  the  Suez  Canal.  There  is,  how- 
ever, one  drawback  to  the  satisfaction  with  which  the  new 
arrangement  is  carried  out, — the  fee  paid  for  the  passage. 
The  "  little  bill "  presented  to  the  Amazone  for  its 
seventeen  hours'  work  amounted  to  £1400  ! 

The  Eed  Sea  is  proverbially  hot  in  June,  July,  and 
August,  and  we  found  it  hot  indeed.  For  five  days  the 
thermometer  ranged  between  eighty-seven  degrees  at  night 
and  ninety-eight  degrees  by  day;  but  the  heat  was  tempered 
by  pleasant  winds ;  and  no  one  seemed  distressed  by  it, 
except  those  who  drank  large  quantities  of  claret  and  water 
to  keep  them  cool.  Under  circumstances  peculiarly  favour- 
able, our  noble  steamer  pressed  forward  with  perfect 
steadiness,  and  after  a  run  of  four  days  and  a  half  from 
Suez,  anchored  on  Friday  morning  in  Aden  harbour. 

The  general  verdict  of  Indian  visitors  respecting  Aden, 
is  that  it  is  a  "  horrid  hole."  Certainly  the  scenery  is  not 
brilliant,  it  is  deficient  in  verdure ;  and  in  the  middle  of 


12 


WHY  WE  WENT  TO  MADAGASCAR. 


the  year,  with  wild  west  winds,  the  thermometer  stands 
nearer  one  hundred  degrees  than  ninety  degrees.  Neverthe- 
less Aden  has  an  interest  of  its  own ;  and  associations  of 
deep  interest  cluster  around  it.  The  peninsula  of  Aden, 
which  cuts  off  from  the  sea  a  wide  landlocked  harbour  is 
formed  by  an  immense  volcano,  a  mile  wide  in  the  interior 
and  having  huge  walls  and  buttresses  of  cindery  lava  all 
around  it.  It  is  a  weird-looking  place ;  but  it  has  for  many 
ages  been  a  helper  to  the  commerce  of  the  world.  An  out- 
post of  India,  well  governed,  it  has  long  been  the  protector 
of  the  overland  trade  and  a  good  coaling  station.  Its  im- 
portance has  increased  with  the  opening  of  the  Canal ;  and 
at  times  several  steamers  call  every  day  for  water,  ice,  and 
coal.  Beyond  this  Aden  was,  next  to  Zanzibar,  the  prin- 
cipal station  of  the  most  ancient  commerce  of  the  world. 
The  Phenicians  knew  and  used  it  before  the  days  of  Hiram. 
The  fleets  of  Solomon  called  there  on  their  way  to  Cochin 
and  Malabar,  whence,  after  their  three  years'  voyage,  they 
bore  to  Judea  "the  ivory,  ebony,  apes,  and  peacocks"  de- 
scribed by  their  Indian  names  in  the  sacred  records.  To 
Solomon  are  attributed  the  cutting  and  completion  of  the 
great  water  tanks,  which  were  rediscovered,  cleansed,  and 
enlarged  by  the  government  of  India  only  eight  years  ago. 
From  Aden  went  forth  whole  fleets  of  Phenician  vessels,  to 
the  coasts  of  India  and  Africa ;  and  in  the  middle  ages  it 
was  one  great  stay  of  the  eastern  trade  from  which  Europe 
had  been  entirely  cut  off. 

After  a  three  days'  delay  in  Aden,  on  board  the  Dupleix, 
the  corresponding  steamer  to  which  we  had  been  trans- 
ferred, we  again  started  for  a  fortnight's  voyage  down  the 
Indian  Ocean  to  Mauritius.    The  Gulf  of  Aden  we  found 


WHY  WE  WEXT  TO  MADAGASCAR. 


13 


hot  but  quiet ;  but  the  moment  we  passed  the  great  lime- 
stone promontory  of  Cape  Gardafui,  though  the  thermometer 
fell  fifteen  degrees,  we  ran  into  a  rough  sea,  which  com- 
pletely upset  us  all.  For  three  days  Mr.  Pillans  and  I 
scarcely  appeared  on  deck.  To  lie  still  and  listless  was 
most  pleasant;  we  ate  nothing,  drank  nothing,  except 
water,  and  did  nothing.  But  at  the  end  of  three  days  we 
grew  accustomed  to  the  motion,  and  life  went  on  quietly 
as  before.  Mrs.  Pillans  suffered  far  more  than  we.  The 
season  of  the  south-west  monsoon  is  well  known  in  all  the 
eastern  seas,  for  its  strong  winds  and  wild  waters.  It  is 
singular  that  the  wind  blows  hardest  near  the  African 
coast ;  no  vessels  going  down  that  coast  can  face  it  with 
advantage;  the  steamers  therefore  shape  their  course  far  out 
in  the  direction  of  Ceylon,  and  bend  round  toward  the 
south,  when  the  wind  and  sea  fall  lighter.  In  this  way 
we  crossed  the  line,  skirted  the  Calvados  reef,  made  ac- 
quaintance with  the  south-east  trade  wind,  and  in  due  time 
anchored  at  Port  St.  Denis,  in  the  Island  of  Bourbon. 
Here  we  received  a  hundred  and  forty-five  passengers,  who 
were  going  over  to  Mauritius  to  see  the  races.  We  had  a 
very  rough  night,  and  they  were  all  violently  ill ;  the 
appearance  of  many  next  morning  was  pitiable,  and  looking 
at  the  results,  I  doubt  not  many  would  ask  whether  the 
"  game  "  was  worth  the  "  candle  "  paid  for  it.  The  next 
morning  we  reached  Port  Louis. 

I  cannot  dwell  on  our  little  visit  to  the  Mauritius ;  the 
island  is  well  known  and  has  only  recently  been  well 
described.  We  found  many  friends  and  received  the 
kindest  hospitality  and  help  at  their  hands.  We  travelled 
along  the  railways  ;  saw  the  charming  bits  of  scenery  with 


14 


WHY  WE  WENT  TO  MADAGASCAR. 


which  this  volcanic  island  abounds;  and  visited  the  Pample- 
mousse  Gardens,  in  which  I  found  many  old  Indian  friends. 
The  fan  palm  and  the  betel-nut,  the  talipot  of  Ceylon,  the 
poinsettia,  the  Ponciana  regia,  and  the  Bouganvillier  creeper 
were  represented  by  fine  specimens.  More  pleasant  still 
was  it  to  visit  the  market,  full  of  the  Indian  grains  and 
vegetables ;  to  handle  once  more  dal  and  rice ;  to  see  the 
huge  melons,  the  cucumbers  and  tomatoes,  of  which  the 
people  of  India  are  so  fond ;  and  to  talk  Hindustani 
to  the  coolies  and  traders,  while  asking  of  their  welfare 
and  the  whereabouts  of  their  Indian  homes.  Most  pleas- 
ant of  all  was  it,  to  meet  on  the  Sunday  a  little  congregation 
of  Indians  at  the  station  of  the  Church  Missionary  Society, 
and  preach  to  them  in  Bengali,  the  tongue  with  which  I 
had  been  most  familiar  during  the  years  of  my  Indian  life. 
The  week  passed  rapidly  away  ;  and  as  one  of  the  regular 
"  liners  "  was  about  to  cross  to  Madagascar,  we  prepared  to 
take  our  passage  in  her. 

The  vessels  which  regularly  run  between  Port  Louis  and 
Tamatave  are  termed  "  bullockers."  They  bring  from 
Madagascar  the  rice,  hides,  and  india-rubber,  which  are 
usual  articles  of  trade :  but  their  principal  freight  is  live 
bullocks,  intended  to  supply  the  meat  market  of  Mauritius, 
and  the  quarter  of  a  million  coolies  who  purchase  their 
supplies  therein.  I  had  often  heard  of  these  bullockers, 
and  read  about  them.  I  remembered  the  story  of  the 
amiable  captain,  who  having  quarrelled  with  Mr.  Ellis's 
orchids,  directed  his  boy  to  pour  over  them  a  kettle  of 
boiling  water.  My  colleague  and  myself  visited  two  of 
these  vessels,  in  the  harbour  of  Port  Louis,  and  found  them 
an  interesting  study.    The  absence  of  all  paint,  the  rusty 


WHY  WE  WENT  TO  MADAGASCAR. 


15 


iron-work,  the  damaged  rigging,  the  rotten  steering-gear, 
and  the  filthy  cabins,  fully  justified  the  warnings  of  our 
friends  against  accepting  a  passage  in  them,  even  if  accom- 
panied by  a  handsome  remuneration.  One  of  them  had  its 
living  freight  on  board,  and  we  were  witnesses  to  the 
astonishment  and  indignation  with  which  the  dumb 
creatures,  after  their  long  confinement,  found  themselves 
suddenly  dropped  into  the  water  and  compelled  to  swim 
ashore  for  their  lives.  To  style  a  ship  like  this  "  a  horrid 
hole,"  is  not  really  disrespectful.  To  say  that  as  an  abode  for 
human  beings,  it  is  a  disgrace  to  civilisation,  is  mild  and 
moderate  language  compared  with  the  facts.  The  bullock 
trade  must  be  the  Botany  Bay  or  the  Cayenne  of  the  ship- 
ping world;  and  on  the  vessels  employed  in  it  no  Committee 
of  inquiry  need  sit  long. 

In  a  bullocker  we  must  go  :  but  happily  the  vessel  about 
to  sail  was  one  of  the  safest  of  her  class ;  and  the  owners 
and  officers  endeavoured  to  make  us  comfortable.  Had 
they  had  time  to  paint  the  saloon  and  cabin,  they  would 
probably  have  been  of  some  definite  colour :  at  all  events 
the  boy  assured  us  that  he  had  washed  them  out;  but 
over  their  condition  in  general,  and  that  of  the  cabin-table 
in  particular,  let  us  draw  the  veil  of  silence.  We  managed 
well,  as  Englishmen  can  do  anywhere.  Captain  Gilman 
was  kindness  itself;  a  smart  sailor,  a  genial  companion, 
and  a  most  attentive  nurse  to  the  sick,  he  did  his  best  to 
render  our  passage  safe  and  pleasant.  With  a  fair  wind 
and  moderate  sea,  the  little  barque  sped  on  her  way  over 
the  six  hundred  miles  of  water ;  and  sixty-nine  hours  after 
leaving  Port  Louis,  on  Thursday,  August  14th,  we  anchored 
behind  the  reef  at  Tamatave. 


16 


WHY  WE  WENT  TO  MADAGASCAR. 


We  received  a  hearty  welcome  from  both  English  and 
native  friends,  who  had  heard  of  our  coming,  and  were 
soon  provided  with  a  comfortable  home.  The  native 
officers  in  charge  of  the  Custom  House  were  most  courteous 
and  attentive  on  the  subject  of  our  baggage ;  and  early  on 
the  following  day  it  was  cleared  and  under  our  command. 
Within  twenty-four  hours,  more  than  half  of  it,  not  re- 
quired for  our  own  journey,  was  on  its  way  to  the  capital ; 
and  we  had  leisure  to  attend  to  a  few  matters  of  importance, 
which  it  was  well  for  us  to  examine.  For  this  promptitude 
we  were  largely  indebted  to  the  agents  of  the  Society, 
Messrs.  Procter  &  Co.,  who  assisted  us  in  every  way. 

Much  has  been  written  about  Tamatave,  almost  the  only 
safe  and  sheltered  port  on  the  east  coast  of  Madagascar. 
Every  traveller  describes  it :  it  is  the  place  at  which  he 
receives  his  first  impressions,  and  makes  his  first  acquaint- 
ance with  the  Malagasy  people.  I  will  therefore  pass  over 
it  briefly,  as  we  saw  in  it  nothing  new. 

Tamatave  is  built  on  a  long  spit  of  sand,  four  hundred 
yards  wide,  which  joins  the  main  land  to  a  fine  coral  reef 
off  the  coast.  The  reef  is  long  and  massive  ;  and  the  wild 
sea,  driven  onward  by  the  strong  trade  winds,  was  bursting 
over  it  in  great  creamy  waves  and  clouds  of  spray.  In  the 
centre  of  the  reef  is  a  somewhat  narrow  opening,  which 
would  render  entrance  and  exit  difficult,  were  it  not  that 
shifts  of  wind  and  breezes  from  the  land,  as  well  as  from  the 
sea,  give  friendly  assistance  to  those  who  bring  their  vessels 
to  the  port.  Once  in,  a  ship  finds  a  complete  shelter  in 
the  curved  bay  which  the  reef  and  the  sand  combine  to 
form.  The  town  presents  to  the  eye  nothing  striking  or 
beautiful.    Approaching  it  from  the  sea,  a  long  line  of 


WHY  WE  WENT  TO  MADAGASCAR. 


17 


misty  hills  is  seen  in  the  background,  throwing  forward 
many  spurs  and  lower  ridges  into  the  narrow  plain.  The 
shore  is  fringed  with  wood  and  brush,  conspicuous  in  which 
are  seen  a  few  mangoe  trees  and  some  fine  specimens  of 
the  pandanus ;  while  along  the  line  the  feathery  fronds  of 
the  cocoa-nut  tree  stand  clear  against  the  sky. 

The  town  contains  six  hundred  houses,  and  about  three 
thousand  people.    It  is  nearly  square  in  shape,  with  its 
south  end  rounded  by  the  beach :  the  streets  run  parallel 
to  the  sea.    The  common  houses  of  the  people  are  mean 
and  frail,  formed  from  light  wood  or  bamboo  ;  and  thatched 
and  panelled  with  the  stalks,  bark,  and  leaves  of  the 
traveller's  tree,  which  is  abundant  in  the  neighbouring 
hills.    The  principal  street  is  near  the  shore,  and  has  on 
both  sides,  but  especially  on  the  east,  the  houses  of  English 
and  French  residents,  including  the  handsome  new  house 
of  Mr.  Pakenham,  the  English  Consul.    The  gardens  (or 
"  compounds,"  as  they  are  termed  in  India)  of  these  houses 
are  large ;  and  several  of  them  extend  to  the  sea.    At  the 
north  end  of  the  town,  beyond  a  sandy  plain  covered  with 
pandanus  trees,  is  the  Battery  or  native  fort.    It  consists 
of  a  double  wall  and  stockade,  with  low  arched  gateways, 
and  encloses  the  house  of  the  Governor  and  dwellings  of 
some  kind  for  the  officers  and  garrison  around  him.  The 
place  is  in  a  most  dilapidated  condition ;  and  should  the 
garrison  ever  be  besieged,  it  is  to  be  hoped  they  will  fire 
no  guns  in  their  defence,  since  the  firing  will  bring  down 
the  entire  place  about  their  ears.    The  native  town  has  no 
shops.     Indeed,  shops  are  an  institution  unknown  in 
Madagascar.    In  Tamatave  as  elsewhere,  an  open  market  is 
held,  which  contains  a  number  of  stalls  or  benches  made  of 

B 


13 


WHY  WE  WENT  TO  MADAGASCAR. 


clay.  On  these  are  laid  the  various  articles  exposed  for  sale. 
The  food  sold  in  the  market  includes  rice  of  several  kinds, 
manioc  root  (a  coarse  tapioca,  very  nourishing,  and  a 
favourite  food  with  every  one) ;  potatoes ;  and  pieces  of  beef. 
The  fruits  were  coarse  but  plentiful,  including  cocoa-nuts, 
pine-apples,  plantains  and  bananas,  melons  and  oranges. 
The  cattle  are  a  frisky  race,  and  as  a  rule,  appear  to  enjoy 
the  excitement  of  a  market-day  as  much  as  the  population. 
Sanitation  is  unknown  in  Madagascar  ;  and  mud-pools, 
heaps  of  decaying  leaves,  and  refuse  generally,  rotting  in 
the  heated  air,  have  much  to  do  with  the  fevers  and  other 
diseases  which  are  so  abundant  among  the  people  of  the 
coast  districts. 

We  spent  four  pleasant  days  in  Tamatave.  We  paid 
our  respects  to  the  Governor,  Eainifiringa,  and  received  a 
hearty  welcome  from  him  and  his  officers.  He  speaks 
English  tolerably  well,  and  talked  to  us  much  about  his 
visit  to  England  in  1864,  when  he  was  sent  as  envoy  to 
explain  the  views  of  his  Government  respecting  the  English 
and  French  treaties.  He  invited  us  to  dine  with  him  on 
the  following  day,  when  we  met  several  members  of  his 
family,  and  spent  a  most  agreeable  afternoon.  We  visited 
also  the  English  Consul,  Mr.  Pakenham,  and  had  much 
interesting  conversation  with  him  on  matters  connected 
with  the  progress  of  the  island.  On  every  hand,  we  met 
with  courtesy  and  kindness.  The  French  Vice-Consul 
kindly  provided  us  with  a  house  for  ourselves  and  our 
numerous  packages.  And  the  twenty  Hindu  and  Parsi 
traders,  who  have  found  their  way  from  India,  were  glad 
to  welcome  one  who  could  talk  to  them  in  their  own 
tongue  about  the  home  and  land  which  they  long  to  see 


WHY  WE  WENT  TO  MADAGASCAR. 


19 


again.  Special  presents  were  sent  to  us  both  from  the 
Churches  of  Tamatave,  and  from  the  Governor,  of  geese 
and  turkeys,  fowls  and  eggs,  as  provisions  for  our  stay. 

Our  most  pleasant  day  in  Tamatave  was  the  Sunday, 
when,  for  the  first  time,  we  worshipped  with  the  native 
Churches,  of  which  we  had  heard,  so  much,  and  to  which 
Christian  people  in  England  are  bound  by  so  many  ties. 
At  eight  o'clock  we  all  went  to  the  large  church  inside  the 
battery,  called  Ambatomasina.  It  was  a  simple  building 
of  posts,  panelled  and  roofed  with  leaves  and  stalks  of 
the  traveller's  tree ;  the  roof  was  open,  and  the  walls  were 
lined  with  fine  mats.  We  joined  the  Governor  and  the 
pastor,  Andriantian,  outside  the  church,  and  were  invited 
to  sit  at  the  upper  end.  We  found  some  five  hundred 
people  assembled.  The  women  were  seated  on  the  floor 
to  the  right,  and  in  the  immediate'  centre ;  the  men  were 
on  the  left,  and  in  the  centre  far  away.  A  raised  platform 
was  provided  for  the  preachers,  on  which  stood  a  table, 
covered  with  a  white  cloth,  and  holding  the  Bible  and 
hymn-book.    There  was  also  a  white  canopy  above. 

The  form  of  worship  followed  by  the  Malagasy  Churches 
connected  with  the  London  Missionary  Society,  resembles 
that  which  prevails  among  the  Congregationalists,  Presby- 
terians, and  Wesley ans  in  England  and  America.  It  is 
based  upon  free  preaching  and  free  prayer.  But  the  form 
is  not  identical  with  that  of  any  one  of  these  denomina- 
tions ;  the  singing,  reading,  prayer,  and  preaching  are  so 
varied  in  their  order  and  extent,  as  to  make  it  differ  from 
all  three.  The  form  is  Malagasy ;  it  has  become  national 
and  universal,  and  the  people  are  much  attached  to  it. 

The  first  hour  of  the  service,  from  eight  to  nine,  was 


20  WHY  WE  WENT  TO  MADAGASCAB. 


spent  chiefly  in  singing  hymns.  In  their  tunes  we  recog- 
nised many  old  English  friends,  lengthened,  shortened, 
twisted,  and  interpolated  with  grace  notes,  which  rendered 
their  identity  somewhat  doubtful.  "  Vesper "  was  one  of 
these.  And  now  we  heard,  for  the  first  time,  a  hymn 
which  is  more  popular  than  any  other  among  the  Chris- 
tians of  Madagascar.  It  stands  No.  46  in  the  usual  hymn- 
book.  It  was  the  composition  of  the  late  Eev.  E,  G. 
Hartley,  and  dwells  in  happy  terms  and  in  most  musical 
rhythm  upon  the  great  theme  of  Jesus,  the  good  Shepherd. 
The  measure  is  anapestic;  and  when  Mr.  Eichardson 
happily  married  it  to  a  lively  English  tune,  "  Hail  to  the 
brightness,"  &c,  it  so  perfectly  hit  the  Malagasy  ear  and 
Malagasy  taste,  that  it  went  through  the  entire  range  of 
the  Malagasy  Churches  in  a  few  weeks.  The  people  sing 
with  great  taste  and  feeling ;  their  voices  are  sweet  and 
clear,  and  the  whole  tone  of  their  music  is  so  plaintive 
and  full  of  tenderness,  that  on  this,  as  on  many  other 
occasions,  it  brought  tears  into  my  eyes.  Even  an  English 
reader  can  discern  the  music  of  the  following  lines.  The 
words  are  pronounced  like  Italian, — 

"  Jdso  mpamdnjy,  mpiandry  tok<5a, 
Ampiverdno  hanarak  'And,o. 
Ondry  mania,  manary  ny  s<5a, 
'Aza  avela  hial  'aminao. 

"  Varivarlana,  sdlasalama, 
Be  ahi^hy,  jere'o  izahay  ; 
Ampianaro  ny  tsy-ari-saina, 
Ampitsaharo  ny  fanianay," 

These  hymns  concluded,  one  of  the  officers  read  the  Scrip- 
tures, and  offered  prayer.     After  another  hymn,  I  gave 


WHY  WE  WENT  TO  MADAGASCAR.  21 


them  an  address,  which  was  interpreted  by  the  Governor. 
Mr.  Pillans  followed  in  the  same  way.  After  another 
hymn  and  prayer,  the  pastor,  Andriantian,  delivered  an 
earnest  address,  and  conclnded  the  service  in  the  usual 
wTay.  In  the  afternoon,  we  attended  the  service  in  the 
other  chapel  of  Tamatave,  and  were  kindly  assisted  by  Mr. 
Samuel  Procter. 

The  two  congregations  in  Tamatave  number  eight  hun- 
dred persons,  and  are  composed,  to  a  large  extent,  of  the 
Hova  families,  which  have  come  from  the  interior  of  the 
island  on  public  duty.  They  have  able  pastors  and 
preachers  among  them,  and  they  are  bound  by  many  ties 
to  the  Christian  Churches  of  Imerina.  There  are  eighteen 
other  congregations  (of  smaller  size)-  in  the  low  country,  or 
at  the  road  stations  in  the  forest,  and  the  whole  include 
more  than  two  thousand  persons,  young  and  old.  During 
our  stay  in  Tamatave,  the  two  Churches,  through  their 
pastors,  pressed  earnestly  upon  us  and  on  the  Directors  of 
the  society,  a  request  that  they  might  have  an  English 
missionary.  They  need  help :  the  smaller  congregations 
need  it  even  more  than  the  larger ;  the  station  is  an  im- 
portant one.  The  local  population  of  Betsimasaraka  have 
scarcely  been  touched  by  the  gospel,  have  scarcely  sent  a 
child  to  school.  jSTevertheless,  mere  outposts  cannot  be 
conveniently  supplied  with  English  missionaries  until  the 
main  positions  have  been  occupied.  The  Madagascar  Mis- 
sion must  be  studied  and  planted  as  a  whole.  If  ulti- 
mately it  be  decided  that  no  English  missionary  can  be 
spared,  the  Churches  in  the  capital  ought  to  give  to  Tama- 
tave one  of  the  best  pastors  at  their  command. 

There  is  a  special  reason  calling  for  the  exercise  of  the 


22 


WHY  WE  WENT  TO  MADAGASCAR. 


best  moral  and  religious  influences  upon  the  population  of 
these  sea-board  towns,  the  fearful  prevalence  of  drink. 
When  the  trade  was  made  free  by  the  half-mad  king  who 
ruled  in  Madagascar  twelve  years  ago,  and  all  custom- 
house duties  were  abolished,  Mauritius  rum  was  poured 
into  the  low  country  in  large  quantities,  and  the  natives 
acquired  a  liking  for  it.  Mr.  Ellis  describes  some  terrible 
scenes  which  he  saw  or  heard  of.  Under  Queen  Rasohe'rina, 
the  usual  duty  of  ten  per  cent,  was  re-imposed,  and  it  is 
continued  under  the  present  queen;  but,  under  such  a 
light  duty,  the  trade  flourishes.  One  English  firm  in  the 
Mauritius  imports  into  Madagascar  thousands  of  barrels  of 
the  hateful  stuff  every  year,  and  their  stores  are  full  of 
them.  We  saw  the  rum-barrels  lying  in  dozens  on  the 
beach,  and  saw  them  rolled  along  the  chief  street  of  Tama- 
tave  at  all  hours  of  the  day.  In  the  stores  of  the  petty 
Creole  traders,  and  even  in  the  Hindu  houses,  the  barrel 
stood  on  tap.  As  a  consequence,  scenes  of  rioting,  degra- 
dation, and  drunkenness  are  common ;  and  all  the  towns 
along  the  coast  are  infected  by  the  same  temptations,  and 
the  same  evil  example.  When  will  the  strong  races  of 
England  and  America  learn  that  to  debauch  and  ruin 
these  young  nations  is  a  crime  against  humanity :  that  to 
place  these  strong  temptations  before  ignorant,  uncivilised 
tribes,  with  whom  it  is  impossible  to  comprehend  and  fore- 
cast their  dire  consequences,  is  to  ensure  for  them  an  im- 
mediate degradation,  and  to  close  the  door  against  the 
future  entrance  of  truth,  and  light,  and  virtue  ? 

The  Hova  government  of  Madagascar  disapprove  the 
importation,  and  would  gladly  place  it  under  heavy  restric- 
tions, if  not  stop  it  altogether;  but  their  hold  over  the 


WHY  WE  WENT  TO  MADAGASCAR. 


23 


coast  tribes  is  limited,  and  they  fear  a  collision  with  the 
Trench  on  the  subject.  But  one  thing  they  did  for  several 
years,  and,  I  believe,  they  do  it  still.  As  with  cloth  and 
Manchester  goods,  so  with  these  rum  barrels, — the  duty  is 
paid  in  kind.  Every  tenth  barrel  landed  is  handed  over 
to  the  Custom-house,  but  the  authorities  will  not  handle 
the  evil  thing;  they  will  not  commute  it  for  a  money 
payment,  and  so  the  rum  is  poured  upon  the  sands.  I  call 
that  noble.  While  the  civilised  Englishman  pours  his 
flood  of  drink  into  the  country,  the  simple,  inexperienced 
native  prince  stands  silently  by,  unable  to  resist,  but 
resolutely  refusing  to  soil  his  hands  with  the  unhallowed 
gain.  Ought  not  Christian  Churches  and  Christian  govern- 
ments to  help  them  in  their  difficulties  ?  At  the  least, 
they  should  be  empowered  to  impose  repressive  duties. 
Better  would  it  be  if  spirits  of  all  kinds  were  prohibited 
altogether.  There  are  classes  in  the  world  for  whom  a 
Maine  Law  is  just  the  right  thing.  Parents  impose  a 
Maine  Law  upon  their  children  while  under  tutelage ; 
why  should  not  the  simple  tribes  of  the  earth, — the  Indian, 
the  Tahitian,  the  Malagasy,  while  they  remain  simple, — be 
protected  by  the  great  nations  from  the  dangers  into  which 
the  love  of  drink  must  surely  lead  them  ? 

Tamatave  is  the  principal  seat  of  the  export  trade  of 
Madagascar.  That  trade  is  by  no  means  great,  though  it 
is  steadily  on  the  increase.  The  trade  in  bullocks  has 
always  been  considerable,  since  it  was  re-opened  in  1854. 
In  recent  years  it  is  in  hides,  bees'- wax,  india-rubber,  gum, 
tallow,  and  oil  seeds  that  the  increase  has  taken  place. 
Many  of  these  articles  are  brought  from  the  interior ;  and 
the  wages  paid  to  bearers  have,  in  consequence,  greatly 


24 


WHY  WE  WENT  TO  MADAGASCAR. 


risen  during  the  last  four  years.  Large  numbers  of  natives 
are  employed  in  the  forests  collecting  these  articles  for  the 
English  and  American  traders.  A  portion  of  the  trade 
goes  to  England  and  America  direct,  but  the  greater  part 
passes  through  the  Mauritius.  And  it  is  because  the 
bullocks  form  so  large  an  item  in  the  traffic,  and  large 
vessels  are  available  a  short  distance  off,  to  which  other 
articles  may  be  transferred,  that  the  export  trade  clings  so 
firmly  to  Tamatave  on  the  east  coast,  and  so  many  difficul- 
ties are  found  in  re-opening  the  old  line  of  export  on  the 
north-west  of  Madagascar  at  Mojanga.  The  native  produce 
is  paid  for  in  Manchester  goods, — "lambas  "  made  in  Lan- 
cashire looms,  in  crockery,  pottery,  iron  vessels,  knives, 
and  tools.  A  part  is  paid  for  in  rum.  For  another  portion 
there  is  a  large  annual  import  of  the  French  and  Belgian 
five-franc  pieces,  which  form  the  current  "  dollar  "  of  the 
country.  In  1863-4,  the  entire  export  and  import  trade 
amounted  together  to  L.  100,000.    In  1873  it  stood  thus — 

1.  Exports  from  Mauritius  to  Madagascar  .  £145,000 

2.  Imports  into  Mauritius  from     do.  .  155,000 

3.  Both  trades,  to  Bourbon,  America,  and  England 

direct    ......  100,000 


Total  in  1873  .         .         .  £400,000 


CHAPTEE  II. 


FIRST  EXPERIENCES  OF  MADAGASCAR  AND  ITS  FEOPLE. 


East  Coast  of  Madagascar,  its  Character  and  Population — Supplies  needed 
by  a  Traveller  to  the  Capital — Our  Journey — Inland  Lagoons — Park- 
like  Scenery — Andevoranto — Ascend  the  Iharoka — "See  the  conquer- 
ing Hero  comes  " — The  Pass  of  Taniakova — The  Sorrows  of  the  old 
Slave-system — System  of  our  Journey — The  great  Ridge  west  of 
Befdrona — Scenery  of  the  Forest — The  Plain  of  Ankay — The  great 
Ridge  of  Angavo  and  its  Forest — The  Eastern  Valleys  of  Imerina — 
Our  Arrival  and  Reception — Population  of  the  East  Coast  scanty — 
First  Visits — The  City  empty — Why — Description  of  Antananarivo — 
Origin,  Name,  and  Growth  of  the  City — Interest  of  the  Native 
Churches  in  our  Visit. 


CHAPTER  II. 

FIRST  EXPERIENCES  OF  MADAGASCAR  AND  ITS  PEOPLE. 

The  east  coast  of  Madagascar,  the  first  portion  of  the  island 
usually  seen  by  English  and  French  travellers,  possesses 
few  attractions.  It  consists  of  an  undulating  plain,  which 
is,  in  general,  twenty  miles  broad.  Along  its  western  side 
the  hills  rise  as  a  fine  background  to  a  very  simple  picture  ; 
first  in  long,  low  banks  of  clay,  rounded  and  worn  by 
streams ;  then  in  a  mighty  wall,  covered  with  forest,  which 
stretches  away  north  and  south  as  far  as  the  eye  can 
reach.  Behind  these  noble  hills,  with  their  precipitous 
passes,  lie  the  central  provinces  of  the  island,  held  by  the 
ruling  races,  and  by  the  largest  portion  of  the  population. 
These  hills,  and  the  ring  of  empty  land  which  they  bear 
upon  their  shoulders,  are  the  defence  of  the  interior  tribes 
against  foreign  aggression.  French  colonists  and  adven- 
turers of  former  generations  tried  in  vain  to  hold  forts 
upon  the  coast,  and  to  establish  a  title  to  a  permanent 
possession  of  some  of  its  districts  ;  but  the  lack  of  popula- 
tion, the  constant  fevers,  and  the  consequent  drain  upon 
their  own  resources,  rendered  that  hold  feeble :  and  when 
at  length  the  interior  tribes  had  grown  strong,  and,  under 
Baclama  and  his  father,  had  become  united  under  one 
authority,  it  was  an  easy  task  for  them  to  march  down  to 


28 


FIEST  EXPERIENCES  OF 


the  east  coast,  and  sweep  away  all  opposition  to  the  estab- 
lishment of  a  single  government,  by  which  all  the  popula- 
tion should  be  headed  and  controlled. 

The  northern  districts  of  the  east  coast  beyond  Tamatave 
are  thinly  peopled.  Within  twenty  miles  are  the  towns 
of  Tintingy,  Foule  Point,  and  Fenoarivo,  all  of  moderate 
size.  In  the  fertile  bottoms,  abundance  of  rice  is  grown, 
and  the  cattle  are  numerous  around  the  lower  hills.  Coal 
is  said  to  exist  near  the  head  of  Antongil  Bay,  though  its 
extent  and  its  quality  are  not  known.  Beyond  this  point 
the  forest  comes  down  to  the  coast ;  and  north  of  1 7°  lat. 
S.  there  exist  only  forests,  and  a  few  good  harbours.  In 
the  forest  and  beyond  it,  even  on  the  east  coast,  all  through 
Vohimary,  the  population  is  Sakalava,  and  has  been  de- 
rived from  the  west  side  of  the  island.  The  line  of  the 
east  coast,  from  St.  Mary's  southward,  is  very  straight.  As 
a  rule,  for  three  miles  and  more  inland,  it  consists  of  a  bed 
of  sand,  thrown  up  from  the  sea  by  the  rough  surf,  and  by 
the  strong  south-east  winds  ;  hence  the  absence  of  harbours, 
the  open  roadsteads,  and  the  danger  and  delay  which 
occur  in  communicating  with  the  shore.  On  the  other 
hand,  the  sandy  deposit  has  closed  the  mouths  of  the 
numerous  streams  running  from  the  hills,  has  caused  the 
accumulation  of  water  in  pleasant  lakes  and  lagoons,  and 
has  provided  means  for  a  system  of  inland  navigation  four 
hundred  miles  long,  greatly  surpassing  in  convenience  and 
safety  the  coast  transit  on  the  open  sea.  Some  day,  the 
existing  barriers  to  this  navigation  will  be  removed,  the 
schemes  of  Eadama  will  be  revived,  and  this  fine  line  of 
inland  canals  will  be  rendered  complete.  The  outlay  re- 
quired cannot  be  very  great. 


MADAGASCAR  AND  ITS  PEOPLE. 


29 


The  traveller  who  would  pass  from  the  coast  of  Mada- 
gascar into  the  interior,  in  order  to  visit  the  capital,  should 
be  prepared  for  one  thing, — that  the  conveniences  and 
comforts  of  his  journey  must  be  provided  by  himself.  He 
will  find  on  the  way  no  hotels,  no  furnished  rooms  for 
resting,  eating,  or  sleeping ;  he  will  find  no  beds  and  no 
chairs,  no  crockery,  no  teapot,  no  knives  and  forks,  no 
linen,  and  no  spoons ;  he  can  buy  neither  tea,  nor  coffee, 
nor  milk,  neither  salt  nor  sugar,  neither  butter  nor  bread ; 
all  these  things  he  must  provide  for  himself,  and  he  had 
better  purchase  them  in  London  before  he  starts.  My 
colleague  and  I  knew  these  facts  beforehand ;  my  corres- 
pondence with  the  missionaries  had  long  rendered  me 
familiar  with  the  details  and  experiences  of  their  many 
journeys ;  and  to  be  forewarned  was  to  be  forearmed.  We 
took  with  us,  therefore,  to  Madagascar  strong  portable 
beds,  with  their  bedding  complete,  portable  chairs,  a  can- 
teen, with  plates  and  cups  of  enamelled  iron,  and  spoons 
and  knives  that  would  not  spoil  by  rough  usage.  We 
carried  our  tea  and  coffee,  cocoa  and  sugar,  our  milk  (in 
tins),  and  butter  and  bread  (from  Tamatave).  We  also 
had  with  us  two  small  tents.  We  lightened  our  camp  by 
sending  forward  our  heavy  baggage,  and  the  stores  not 
needed  on  the  journey,  under  the  charge  of  separate  men. 
So  provided,  we  enjoyed  a  very  interesting  and  pleasant 
journey. 

We  left  Tamatave  on  Tuesday,  August  19,  and  for  two 
days  kept  southward  along  the  coast,  with  the  purpose  of 
reaching  Andevoranto,  where  the  road  to  the  capital  turns 
off  into  the  interior.  Our  three  palankeens  required 
twenty-two  men,  and  our  baggage  had  twenty-six.    I  need 


30 


FIRST  EXPERIENCES  OF 


not  dwell  at  any  length  on  our  journey,  for  it  has  often 
been  described  by  Mr.  Ellis,  by  Mr.  Sibree,  and  several 
of  the  missionaries ;  by  Captain  Oliver,  and  other  military 
men.  Its  features  have  been  carefully  detailed,  its  stop- 
ping-stations are  well-known  ;  and  the  experiences  of  one 
traveller,  rough,  serious,  or  amusing,  have  generally  proved 
to  be  those  of  every  other. 

There  is  no  road,  properly  so  called,  along  the  coast ; 
we  just  followed  a  path,  more  or  less  broad,  over  the 
grassy  glades,  through  patches  of  wood,  or  across  the  bare 
sand.  Cocoanuts,  plantains,  a  few  palms,  the  fir,  and  the 
pandanus,  were  the  usual  trees, — familiar  friends  to  me  of 
years  gone  by, — but  many  trees  were  quite  new.  Passing 
through  the  village  of  Hivondro,  we  crossed  the  river, 
which  here  cuts  through  the  sand-belt,  and  flows  into  the 
sea.  Traversing  fine,  open  glades,  the  bordering  banks  of 
which  were  beautifully  curved,  we  came  out  upon  the 
beach,  and,  for  a  long  way,  toiled  over  the  dunes,  or  trode 
the  firm,  wet  sand,  upon  which,  with  ceaseless  roar,  the 
long  waves  poured  out  their  hissing  foam.  The  coast  was 
lined  with  the  filao,  a  fir-tree  closely  resembling  the 
casuarina,  which  grows  well  in  Bengal,  where  it  is  known 
as  the  Sumatra  fir.  The  filao  is,  however,  native  to  Mada- 
gascar ;  its  feathery  hair  hangs  gracefully  over  its  gnarled 
and  knotted  branches,  and,  with  the  strong  winds,  makes 
pleasant  music.  Fine  clumps  of  these  graceful  trees  con- 
tinued all  the  way.  Here  and  there  the  ferns  appeared 
with  strong  fronds,  and  the  leaves  and  branches  of  the 
pandanus  were  of  great  length. 

A  little  north  of  Vavony,  rocky  hills,  covered  with  wood, 
come  down  to  the  coast,  and  the  inner  lagoons  are  driven 


MADAGASCAR  AND  ITS  PEOPLE.  31 


into  the  sea.  We  traversed  one  of  these  lagoons  in  a 
canoe  for  about  three  miles,  and  met  with  a  strange  ex- 
perience. The  lagoon  was  bounded  by  high  hills,  and  at 
the  bottom  the  mangrove  was  very  thick.  The  water 
was  not  very  deep,  but  it  was  full  of  small  water-lilies, 
the  leaves  of  which,  on  their  under  side,  were  a  crimson 
pink  in  colour.  The  flower  also  was  crimson.  The  water 
at  first  had  a  brilliant  red  tint,  but,  ere  long,  it  became 
deeper,  and  it  seemed  to  us  all  as  if  we  were  sailing  on  a 
river  of  blood.  As  the  lagoon  ended,  the  colour  changed 
to  a  rich  red  gold. 

Landing  once  more,  we  travelled  to  the  clean  village  of 
Vavony,  over  a  piece  of  country,  which  had  all  the  ap- 
pearance of  a  beautiful  park.  It  contained  sloping  banks 
crowned  with  fir  trees.  Here  stood  the  tree  fern,  and  there 
the  bamboo  palm :  here  were  fine  specimens  of  the  india- 
rubber  tree  with  its  glossy  leaves ;  there  tall,  thick  bada- 
miers  with  their  leaves  of  crimson ;  and  there  the  path 
was  arched  by  the  pandanus.  From  some  lofty  trees  hung 
huge,  black,  bees'  nests  :  the  trunks  of  others  were  adorned 
with  the  Angraecum  orchids,  with  their  long  spray  of  twelve 
white  flowers;  and  from  the  strongest  hung  enormous 
creepers.  Everywhere,  winding  in  and  out  among  the 
trees  was  the  open  grassy  glade,  on  which  a  fine  herd  of 
red  cattle  was  grazing. 

From  Vavony  we  had  a  canoe,  and  while  the  baggage 
kept  the  road,  for  ten  miles  we  traversed  a  broad,  still 
lagoon.  It  was  bordered  with  high  banks,  covered  with 
trees :  and  with  two  paddles,  worked  by  strong  arms,  we 
had  a  delightful  row  to  the  village  of  Menarana,  where  we 
slept  at  the  end  of  our  second  day.    Early  the  following 


32 


FIRST  EXPERIENCES  OF 


morning,  we  reached  the  Church  Mission  Station  at 
Andevoranto,  and  put  up  in  the  empty  mission-house. 
p  What  a  treat  it  was  to  spend  a  quiet  day  !  We  occupied 
the  hours  profitably,  in  readjusting  baggage  and  stores,  on 
the  basis  of  the  experience  we  had  gained  during  our  first 
two  days'  travel.  We  also  had  pleasant  interviews  with 
members  of  the  two  congregations  in  this  place  and  neigh- 
bourhood, and  heard  much  from  them  repecting  their  re- 
ligious wants.  They  are  at  present  without  a  missionary. 
In  the  evening  we  had  a  heavy  downpour  of  rain. 

Continuing  our  journey  on  Friday  morning,  we  turned 
our  face  at  once  towards  the  mountains  :  and  for  four 
hours  we  travelled  in  canoes  up  the  river  Iharoka  and  one 
of  its  tributaries.  The  river  was  two  hundred  yards  broad, 
and  the  current,  in  its  lower  portion,  ran  about  three  miles 
an  hour.  Near  Andevoranto,  both  sides  of  the  river  have 
great  swamps,  in  which  we  saw  growing  many  hundreds 
of  the  noble  arum  lily,  the  Astrapaa  Wallichii,  with  its 
thick  trunk  and  broad  scolloped  leaves.  Farther  inland 
we  came  upon  a  row  of  the  plants  bearing  the  first  flowers 
of  the  season  :  and  they  were  in  size  and  beauty  so  splendid, 
that  a  botanist  like  Mr.  Ellis  might  well  speak  of  them 
with  enthusiasm.  Our  men  paddled  the  canoe  with  spirit, 
and  like  boatmen  in  India,  enlivened  and  regulated  their 
stroke  with  measured  cries  and  songs.  Our  water  trip  was 
exceedingly  pleasant ;  light  showers  fell  at  intervals,  pro- 
ducing numerous  rainbows ;  beautiful  flowers  were  growing 
on  the  banks,  and  birds  of  coloured  plumage  flew  around 
us. 

After  a  two  hours  run  on  a  straight  course,  we  came  to 
the  roots  of  the  first  hills  ;  the  river  narrrowed  to  a  width 


MADAGASCAR  AND  ITS  PEOPLE. 


33 


of  a  hundred  yards,  the  stream  grew  stronger,  and  became 
very  winding.  We  passed  several  small  villages,  and  soon 
left  the  main  stream  to  turn  into  a  little  river,  with  a 
current  of  four  miles  an  hour  against  us.  There  we  cut 
the  flowers  of  the  Astrapcea.  After  a  four  hours'  pull  in 
the  canoe,  we  landed,  and  began  our  climb  over  the  hills. 
The  first  hills  were  low ;  were  beautifully  rounded  by 
water ;  and  every  hollow  and  valley  was  filled  with  fine 
specimens  of  the  rofia  palm  and  of  the  traveller's  tree.  We 
made  our  first  pause  at  Manamboninahitra.  This  little 
town  is  the  residence  of  the  Lieutenant-Governor  of  the 
district,  and  as  his  brass  band  must  live,  they  take  the 
opportunity  afforded  by  an  English  visitor's  arrival  to  do 
a  stroke  of  business.  The  whole  village  turned  out  to 
welcome  us,  and  the  band  played  effectively  and  with 
energy,  "  See  the  conquering  hero  comes :  sound  the 
trumpet,  beat  the  drums."  The  incident  would  be  re- 
membered with  feelings  of  satisfaction,  both  by  my 
colleague  and  myself,  if  we  had  not  learned  that  several 
other  "  conquering  heroes  "  have  passed  through  the  village 
since  our  visit.  Still  surrounded  with  the  rofia  palm, 
having  fronds  thirty  feet  long  and  beautifully  tinted  with 
red,  we  continued  our  journey  to  Banomafana,  with  its 
well-known  hot  springs,  which  we  reached  at  sunset.  Here 
the  church  table  being  in  a  dilapidated  condition,  I  amused 
myself  by  mending  it,  and  was  caught  in  the  act  by  a 
deputation,  which  arrived  to  offer  us  a  welcome,  and  which 
watched  with  grave  interest  the  progress  of  the  repairs. 

Around  Banomafana  the  country  has  many  beauties. 
There  is  a  fine  amphitheatre  of  hills,  from  which  here  and 

there  rise  one  or  two  lofty  cones.    The  streams  run  deep 

c 


34 


FIRST  EXPERIENCES  OF 


and  strong,  over  beds  of  quartz  pebbles  ;  the  traveller's 
tree  grows  in  enormous  numbers,  and  large  patches  of  rich 
black  soil  appear  amid  the  general  masses  of  red  clay. 

West  of  Ambatoerana,  and  about  ten  miles  from 
Eanomafana,  we  ascended  a  fine  hill  of  bright  red  clay, 
which  projects  like  a  vast  buttress  into  this  amphitheatre 
of  hills,  and  furnishes  the  road  by  which  the  next  ridge  is 
crossed.  On  reaching  the  summit  of  the  pass  and  looking 
back  over  the  undulating  plain,  I  asked  the  bearers  what 
the  name  of  the  hill  was.  With  deep  interest  I  heard  their 
reply  :  "  It  is  Taniakova,  the  weeping  place  of  the  Hovas." 
I  at  once  asked,  "And  where  is  the  sea  ?"  Without  hesi- 
tation they  pointed  it  out  on  the  horizon,  and  showed  us 
the  houses  of  Andevoranto. 

We  were  standing  on  the  spot,  sacred  for  ever  to  the 
sorrows  of  the  Hova  captives  of  former  times,  who  here  first 
caught  sight  of  the  sea,  over  which  they  were  to  voyage  as 
slaves.  In  the  wars  of  last  century,  and  in  the  petty  local 
contests  which  took  place  in  various  parts  of  the  country, 
it  was  a  constant  practice  to  sell  the  prisoners  taken  in 
battle  or  captured  in  villages  to  the  Arab  merchants,  who 
exported  them  as  slaves.  In  these  calamities,  members  of 
the  highest  families  were  involved  as  well  as  of  the  lowest. 
Children  and  young  women  were  stolen  from  villages  in 
the  darkness  of  evening,  and  were  never  seen  by  their 
relatives  again.  The  slaves  were  sold  to  the  Mauritius,  to 
Calcutta  and  Bombay,  and  even  to  the  West  Indies.  The 
Arab  merchants  were  the  chief  delinquents,  but  there  were 
French  and  English  also  in  the  hateful  trade.  The  suffering 
caused  by  it  must  have  been  overwhelming.  The  captives 
were  marched  from  the  interior  in  gangs,  fastened  to  one 


MADAGASCAR  AND  ITS  PEOPLE. 


35 


another.  Hova,  or  Betsileo,  Tanala  or  Tankay,  it  mattered 
nothing  to  the  cruel  men  whose  property  they  had  become. 
Their  hearts  must  have  broken  long  before  the  forest  was 
passed.  But  tradition  tells  how  the  deepest  sorrow  broke 
forth  afresh,  as  the  gangs  stood  on  this  red  pass,  the  outer 
boundary  of  the  land  of  their  people,  and  for  the  first  time 
they  beheld  the  "  black  waters,"  over  which  they  were  to 
be  carried  never  to  return.  It  was  Badama  who  brought 
the  wicked  system  to  an  end,  when,  at  the  suggestion  of 
Sir  Bobert  Farquhar,  the  Governor  of  Mauritius,  he  made 
a  treaty  with  the  English  Government,  by  which  the  export 
trade  in  slaves  was  wholly  done  away.  On  the  top  of  the 
pass  there  stands  a  pillar  inscribed  with  the  king's  name. 
The  efforts  of  Sir  Bobert  Farquhar,  ably  seconded  by  Mr. 
Hastie,  drew  from  all  classes  of  the  people  a  warm  regard 
towards  the  English  nation,  and  gave  to  them  an  influence 
which  others  had  never  acquired,  and  which  has  been  in- 
creasing to  the  present  day. 

Descending  the  ridge  on  its  western  side,  we  came  into 
the  valley  of  the  Mahela  Biver,  rich  with  tropical  vegeta- 
tion. The  ferns  covered  the  slope  of  the  hill  in  thousands, 
and  were  plants  of  the  finest  kind.  The  fronds  of  the 
harts'  tongues  were  a  yard  and  a  half  long.  The  wild 
raspberry  was  common,  and  the  men  gathered  capfuls  of 
the  fruit.  The  Mahela  was  thirty  yards  wide  and  four 
feet  deep.  Crossing  it  we  climbed  a  lofty  ridge  of  red 
clay,  with  a  Hova  guard  at  the  top ;  and  going  down  and 
up  once  and  again  at  length  reached  the  stopping  station 
of  Ampasimbe,  where  we  spent  a  quiet  Sunday. 

By  this  time  we  had  grown  accustomed  to  our  work, 
and  had  adopted  a  regular  plan  for  our  movements.  Our 


36 


FIRST  EXPERIENCES  OF 


rule  was  to  rise  at  five  o'clock,  get  an  early  cup  of  tea, 
start  off  at  half-past  six,  and  make  one  good  journey  before 
eleven  or  twelve  in  the  day.  Eesting  for  a  couple  of  hours, 
our  bearers  and  ourselves  secured  a  good  meal ;  then  made 
another  journey  between  one  and  five  o'clock,  and  rested 
for  the  night.  The  villages  in  which  we  stopped  were 
very  dirty,  with  middens  of  rotting  leaves,  with  their 
smoky  houses,  in  which  soot  is  regarded  with  veneration 
as  a  mark  of  ancestral  respectability,  with  their  count- 
less inhabitants,  and  their  general  disorder  and  filth. 
Twice  a-day  we  had  a  house  assigned  for  our  use ;  some- 
times with  the  hens  and  geese  sitting,  sometimes  with  the 
dogs  and  chickens  turned  into  the  street,  but  anxious  con- 
stantly to  gratify  their  domestic  feelings  and  return  home. 
The  sleeping  accommodation  was  varied.  Sometimes  the 
house  wa3  clean  (for  Madagascar) ;  usually  it  was  the 
opposite;  the  first  and  the  last  of  the  series  were  the 
dirtiest  and  smokiest  of  all.  Our  portable  beds  were  a 
great  comfort,  they  were  so  complete  and  convenient ;  our 
enamelled  cups  and  plates  proved  most  useful.  But  to  get 
up  at  five  a.m.  daily,  and  double  up  all  your  property,  in 
order  to  go  on  pilgrimage  to  some  new  place  as  dirty  as 
the  last,  is  trying  to  the  feelings,  even  when  it  is  a  serious 
duty. 

Though  wearisome,  the  journey  proved  at  this  time  a 
continual  treat.  The  ascent  of  these  hills  is  over  three 
broad  terraces.  After  leaving  Ampasimbe,  all  Monday 
and  Tuesday  we  were  crossing  the  numerous  ridges  of  the 
first  terrace,  which  slopes  outward  from  a  mighty  wall  of 
rock,  conspicuous  to  the  west.  These  ridges  were  often 
high;  they  followed  fast  upon  one  another,  and  in  the 


MADAGASCAR  AXD  ITS  PEOPLE. 


37 


ravines  between  them  were  lovely  bits  of  scenery  cluster- 
ing round  the  running  streams.  At  last/beyond  Beforona, 
we  reached  the  foot  of  the  great  wall,  covered  with  forest, 
the  top  of  which  towered  above  our  heads.  Turning  a 
little  north,  the  road  made  over  the  clay  hills  for  a  gap  in 
the  ridge,  and  with  many  a  climb  and  many  a  deep 
descent,  we  found  ourselves  at  length  on  the  high  terrace 
above  it,  the  second  of  the  series,  distinguished  by  its 
forest.  The  scenery  in  this  part  of  the  journey  was 
wonderfully  beautiful.  Now  we  passed  under  the  long, 
arched  alley,  then  came  into  the  open  glade ;  now  we  were 
hidden  in  the  dense  wood,  then  found  ourselves  on  the 
edge  of  deep  ravines.  Xow  we  crossed  a  river  full  of 
boulders,  stepping  from  stone  to  stone,  or  standiug  in  the 
roaring  water  ;  then  took  a  woodland  path,  buried  in  ferns, 
or  descended  into  rich  and  shady  valleys ;  or,  again 
mounting  some  rocky  summit,  enjoyed  a  noble  prospect 
over  hundreds  of  square  miles.  Our  last  day  in  the 
'Alaruazaotra  forest  was  very  trying,  from  its  numerous 
and  deep  mud  holes.  We  had  also  to  cross  a  frail  struc- 
ture, meant  for  a  bridge,  over  a  broad  and  deep  stream 
with  a  fine  cascade.  But  the  forest  was  very  fine  :  we 
soon  reached  a  clean  and  pleasant  resting  place,  Am- 
pasimfotsy,  and  crossing  a  high  broad  ridge,  scored  by 
local  rice-valleys,  early  in  the  afternoon,  we  descended 
into  the  broad  plain  of  Ankay,  and  reached  the  town  of 
Moramanga.  Here  we  were  welcomed  by  Mr.  Wills,  one 
of  the  English  Missionaries,  who  had  been  visiting  his 
country  churches.  The  weekly  market  was  in  the  height 
of  business ;  meat  and  clothing  were  the  chief  articles  we 
observed  exposed  for  sale.   But  the  place  was  indescribably 


33 


FIRST  EXPERIENCES  OF 


dirty.  It  had  probably  never  been  swept  from  the  day 
when  the  market  was  commenced,  through  thirty  inter- 
mediate generations,  down  to  the  present  day. 

The  plain  of  Ankay  is  a  place  of  peculiar  interest ;  there 
is  nothing  like  it  in  the  island.  It  is  a  vast  plain  of  sedi- 
mentary clay,  enclosed  by  bordering  chains  of  hills,  which 
run  in  a  direction  from  north  to  south.  Ankay  proper  is 
at  least  one  hundred  and  eighty  miles  long  and,  here,  is 
about  twenty  miles  broad.  The  chain  along  its  eastern 
side  is  not  lofty,  it  has  a  height  of  only  365  feet.  It  is 
rather  like  a  lip  to  the  plain  below  than  an  overhang- 
ing wall ;  it  consists  largely  too  of  the  same  material  as 
the  plain  itself,  with  gneiss  rocks  underlying  and  inter- 
mingled with  it.  The  western  chain,  on  the  contrary,  is  a 
lofty  wall  of  granite  and  gneiss,  1620  feet  high;  it  over- 
hangs the  plain  in  its  entire  length,  and  passes  far  beyond 
it.  It  is  the  second  of  the  great  ridge  walls,  by  which  so 
much  of  the  contour  of  the  island  is  regulated.  It  runs 
the  entire  length  of  the  island,  as  far  as  known,  and  is 
covered  all  the  way  with  wood,  which  forms  the  second 
and  upper  line  of  the  primeval  forest.  Vast  buttresses  of 
rock  project  into  the  plain  from  its  lofty  front,  and  deep 
ravines  and  valleys  run  in  behind  them,  giving  to  the 
scenery  a  rich  variety  of  outline,  and  of  detail. 

Ankay  should  be  a  level  plain.  It  'once  was  so.  But  its 
material  is  soft  and  friable,  and  water  speedily  washes  it 
away.  For  countless  ages  storms,  floods,  waterspouts  and 
steady  rains  have  made  havoc  of  its  surface.  It  is  ploughed 
and  scored  into  little  valleys  in  all  directions ;  but  the 
scorings  all  find  an  outlet,  and  pass  from  one  to  another, 
till  they  reach  the  central  drain  of  all,  the  valley  of  the 


MADAGASCAR  AND  ITS  PEOPLE. 


30 


Mangoro  Eiver.  The  bottom  of  this  valley  is  325  feet  be- 
low the  level  of  the  plain ;  and  the  river  flows  (like  the 
Jordan)  in  a  little  valley  within  the  valley.  Naturally, 
this  great  draining  valley  with  its  river  runs,  like  its  en- 
closing walls,  a  course  from  north  to  south.  The  Mangoro 
eventually  makes  its  way  through  the  eastern  chain, 
descends  the  great  hills  by  a  series  of  rapids  and  cascades, 
and  falls  into  the  sea  near  Manahoro.  It  is  interesting  to 
observe  that  under  the  western  hills,  where  floods  and 
waters  are  most  abundant,  the  plain  is  a  hundred  feet 
lower  than  on  its  eastern  side.  We  shall  see  more  of  this 
plain  hereafter,  when  we  traverse  its  northern  end  on  the 
way  to  the  Sihanaka  province. 

The  people  who  have  occupied  this  plain,  apparently 
without  interruption,  from  the  time  of  its  first  settlement, 
are  called  Bezanozano.  Their  name  of  Tankays  only  de- 
notes that  they  live  in  Ankay.  They  are  apparently  a 
branch  of  the  Betsimisaraka  tribes,  who  have  peopled  the 
coast.  They  probably  came  from  the  lower  plains  up  the 
valley  of  the  Mangoro,  and  it  is  certain  that  they  have 
spread  along  Ankay  from  south  to  north ;  the  upper  por- 
tion of  the  plain  being  to  this  day  empty.  They  have  been 
almost  completely  cut  off  from  their  neighbours,  and  have 
led  an  isolated  life  ;  till,  conquered  by  the  Hovas,  and  sub- 
jected to  the  demands  of  the  Hova  service,  large  numbers 
of  the  men  were  made  bearers  of  Government  goods,  and 
travelled  to  distant  parts  of  the  Hova  dominions.  They 
have  suffered  much  from  their  isolation  and  are  still  very 
uncivilised  and  ignorant.  Their  women  have  a  brown 
complexion,  with  liquid  eyes.  They  are  a  very  simple 
and  also  a  hospitable  people.    They  were  afraid  of  the  first 


40 


FIRST  EXPERIENCES  OF 


English  Missionary  they  saw;  but  when  they  found  he 
was  a  friend,  they  could  not  do  too  much  for  him.  At  the 
present  time  there  are  several  Churches  in  the  valley. 

On  Thursday  morning  we  left  Moramanga  and  spent  the 
day  in  reaching  Ambodinangdvo,  a  village  at  the  foot  of 
the  western  chain.  In  three  hours  we  came  to  the 
Mangoro;  noticed  with  interest  the  depression  in  which 
it  runs,  and  crossed  it  in  canoes  to  the  village  of  Andakana, 
"  canoe-town."  A  little  to  the  west  of  the  ferry  stands  the 
lofty  wooded  hill  of  Ifody.  The  hill  belongs  to  the  western 
chain,  but  projects  some  miles  into  Ankay,  and  leaves  a 
long  broad  valley  between  that  chain  and  itself.  We 
crossed  Ifody,  ascending  and  descending  950  feet;  and 
having  rested  a  while<  at  the  village  beyond,  we  pursued 
our  way  up  the  inner  valley,  along  the  river  Manambola. 
The  scene  before  us  in  the  Angavo  valley  was  truly  grand. 
The  valley  is  almost  entirely  shut  in ;  the  hills  on  the 
west  and  south  are  very  lofty,  their  vast  projecting  but- 
tresses are  rounded  with  the  most  graceful  curves,  and  the 
brushwood  and  the  forest  clothe  them  with  indescribable 
loveliness.  On  the  south-west  stands  the  massive  peak  of 
Angavo,  "  the  lofty,"  and  the  road  ascends  to  the  high 
plains  above,  over  the  shoulder  of  this  noble  hill.  We 
climbed  it  early  the  following  day,  but  we  descended  and 
ascended  once  and  again  into  deep  ravines  before  the  solid 
plain  was  reached ;  in  one  of  these  ravines,  at  a  most  lovely 
spot,  we  forded  the  river  Mandraka,  with  a  fine  cascade  just 
above  the  passage.  Thence  a  long  climb  carried  us  to  the 
plateau  above.  The  total  ascent  from  the  foot  of  the  great 
chain  to  this  inner  edge  of  the  plateau  was  1620  feet. 

We  were  now  in  the  province  of  Imerina ;  and  the  dry, 


MADAGASCAR  AND  ITS  PEOPLE.  41 


chill  air  of  the  morning  gave  ample  proof  that  we  had 
ascended  a  considerable  height  above  the  sea.  We  paused 
for  a  while  at  the  usual  stopping  station  of  Ankera-Madinika, 
where  every  traveller  either  sleeps  or  takes  his  mid-day 
meal.  Then  passing  on  we  crossed  several  valleys  and 
stony  ridges  ;  till  we  reached  the  broad  open  basin  of 
Manjakandriana,  and  for  the  first  time  beheld  a  large  cluster 
of  villages,  with  three  or  four  churches.  Still  west  of  them 
we  reached  the  eastern  foot  of  a  noble  hill,  Angavokely, 
which  towers  over  Imerina  and  is  a  conspicuous  landmark 
for  many  miles ;  its  height  is  5925  feet.  Here  our  baro- 
meters indicated  the  highest  point  of  our  route ;  but  it  was 
only  for  a  moment  on  the  crest  of  the  ridge  which  runs 
northward  from  the  Angavokely  hilL  We  at  once  descended 
on  the  west,  and  after  winding  along  the  edge  of  the  great 
moor,  we  reached  the  mission  station  of  Ambatovory,  and 
spent  some  delightful  hours  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Peake.  This 
portion  of  the  country  possesses  great  beauties ;  noble  rocks, 
rich  soft  woods,  green  rice  fields,  and  running  streams  are 
so  blended  together,  so  contrasted  with  each  other  as  to 
delight  the  eye  with  richest  varieties  of  form  and  colour, 
light  and  shade.  The  fertile  bottoms,  watered  from  a 
thousand  fountains,  yield  golden  harvests  to  the  industry 
which  tills  them.  But  wherever  they  bend  and  turn  in 
graceful  outline,  they  are  enfolded  by  long  and  lofty  ridges, 
studded  with  enormous  boulders;  and  they  rest  in  the 
might  and  the  majesty  of  the  everlasting  hills. 

Beyond  Ambatovory  the  valleys  began  to  open  more 
widely ;  the  ridges  were  lower ;  the  population  increased 
rapidly ;  and  not  only  were  villages  seen  on  all  sides,  but 
towns  of  considerable  size.  Two  of  these  Ambohimalaza  and 


42 


FIBST  EXPERIENCES  OF 


Ambohitromby,  occupy  a  conspicuous  position  and  have 
most  important  churches.  On  Saturday  morning,  we  com- 
menced our  last  journey  of  twelve  miles.  We  were  glad  that 
the  end  was  near.  The  bearers,  as  well  as  ourselves,  were 
exhausted  with  the  hard  life  we  had  led  ;  with  the  long  and 
frequent  climb  up  hill,  with  the  terrible  mud-holes,  and  the 
bad  roads.  But  the  capital  was  in  sight,  conspicuous  on  its 
lofty  hill.  Five  miles  on  this  side  of  it  two  of  our  friends 
met  us ;  then  three  others.  Two  miles  from  the  city,  on 
the  crest  of  a  fine  rocky  hill,  we  found  the  entire  mission, 
ladies  as  well  as  gentlemen,  with  the  members  of  the 
Friends'  Mission,  gathered  to  do  us  honour  and  give  us  a 
warm  welcome.  A  group  of  native  ministers  joined  them  ; 
and  the  theological  students  met  us  a  little  further  on.  It 
was  a  splendid  reception ;  an  earnest  of  the  hospitable 
treatment  and  the  kind  aid  which  we  were  to  experience 
from  them  throughout  the  period  of  our  stay.  We  finished 
the  journey  in  their  company.  We  soon  climbed  the  lofty 
hill,  so  familiar  in  pictures  of  the  city ;  passed  near  the 
walls  of  the  well-known  palace ;  crossed  the  plain  of 
Andohalo ;  saw  some  of  the  churches,  so  often  named  in 
our  public  letters  ;  and  found  a  cordial  welcome  in  the 
homes  of  two  of  our  brethren. 

The  following  list  of  the  principal  places  we  passed  on 
the  way  up  country,  with  their  barometrical  height,  will 
show  the  manner  in  which  the  land  gradually  rises  from 
the  sea  coast  to  the  central  plateau. 


Manamboninaliitra 
Ranomafana 
AmMtoerana 
Ampasinibe 
Crest  of  Ridge  . 


Feet. 
150 
145 
595 
1055 
2030 


Marozevo 
Beforona 
AneVo 

Top    of    this  Terrace, 


Feet. 
1385 
1650 
2920 


Amboasary 


3470 


MADAGASCAR  AXD  ITS  PEOPLE. 


Feet.  Feet 

'Alamazaotra     .          .  3130  Ambodinangavo  .  3000 

Ampasimfdtsy    .  .  2830  ■     Angavo  Pass     .  .  4210 

Lip  of  the  Pudge,  east  of  Do.  Inner  Cliff,  and 

Ankay           .          .  3460  Anke'ramadinika  .  4620 

Mdramanga,  and  Plain  Ambatovory      .  .  4770 

of  Ankay       .  .  3100 

Antananarivo. 

Royal  Palace     .  .       4790  I     Analake'ly         .  .  4230 

Faravohitra       .  .       4540  ]     Imahamasina     .  .  4200 

Plain  of  Imerina        .  .  4000 

Looking  back  upon  this  first  experience  of  the  country 
and  people  of  Madagascar,  I  was  profoundly  impressed 
with  the  emptiness  of  the  land.  And  the  more  I  have 
thought  the  matter  over,  and  the  more  I  have  seen  of  the 
island,  the  more  thoroughly  has  that  first  impression  been 
confirmed.  There  were  people,  indeed,  in  the  capital  and 
around  it ;  there  was  nothing  to  gainsay  here,  or  since  we 
had  passed  into  Imerina.  But  Ankay,  how  thinly  peopled ! 
While  from  Moramanga  eastward,  there  are  almost  no 
villages  at  all,  except  the  stopping-stations,  till  within 
twenty  miles  of  the  sea.  The  Betsimisaraka  province  be- 
tween the  hills  and  the  sea  we  saw  to  be  very  narrow  in 
itself,  and  the  large  villages  to  be  very  few.  The  story  of 
Badama's  conquest  implies  the  same  thing ;  the  Hova  con- 
tests have  been  few  and  easy  ;  and  no  places  were  the  scene 
of  conflict  but  those  whose  names  are  well  known  in  our 
own  day.  All  travellers  north  and  south  of  Tamatave  and 
Andevoranto  say  the  same.  Along  the  east  coast  as  far 
south  as  Mananzara,  there  are  now  fourteen  towns,  each 
containing  one  hundred  houses  or  more.  The  total  number 
of  houses  in  these  towns  amount  to  2,400  ;  which  should 
contain  a  population  of  12,000  people.  The  little  villages 
dot  the  country ;  but  they  do  not  go  far  inland,  and  their 
inhabitants  are  few.    This  is  but  natural  in  a  country 


44 


FIRST  EXPERIENCES  OF 


where  a  cluster  of  a  hundred  houses  is  called  a  town. 
After  careful  consideration  I  doubt  whether  the  entire 
population  of  the  east  coast  from  Diego  Bay  to  Cape  St. 
Mary's,  exceeds  150,000  people.  And  the  majority  of  these 
are  scattered  in  handfuls  over  the  country,  so  that  we  can 
scarcely  get  at  them.  Our  native  friends  in  Tamatave, 
when  pleading  with  us  for  an  English  missionary,  showed 
us  by  facts  and  figures,  that  in  the  twenty  congregations 
on  the  coast  connecting  themselves  with  the  Christians  of 
Imerina,  there  were  altogether  only  two  thousand  people, 
and  of  these  there  are  eight  hundred  in  Tamatave. 

We  spent  eleven  days  in  the  capital  before  travelling 
further,  and  found  a  multitude  of  things  to  interest  us.  I 
may  not  stop  to  describe  them.  I  cannot  dwell  upon  our 
first  service  in  the  Memorial  Church  at  Ambatonakanga  ; 
on  the  prayer  meetings  held  in  the  houses  of  the  mission- 
aries ;  on  the  numerous  visitors,  English  and  native,  who 
called  to  see  us  ;  on  our  visits  to  various  parts  of  the  city, 
— the  churches,  the  palace,  the  market,  the  places  where 
the  martyrs  fell ;  the  places  where  the  earliest  labours  of 
the  mission  were  carried  on ;  or  on  our  first  sight  of  the 
schools  maintained  at  the  present  time.  We  had  often 
read  of  these  things ;  it  was  now  most  pleasant  to  see 
them.  I  had  often  endeavoured  to  picture  them  to  my 
mind,  but  I  now  found  misapprehensions  to  correct,  and  a 
multitude  of  details  to  fill  in.  In  most  things  the  city 
came  up  to  my  expectations;  in  certain  respects  it  fell 
short  of  them. 

One  thing  was  quite  unexpected  by  us  both.  We  found 
that  the  city  was  empty,  and  that  the  activity  and  stir  we 
looked  for  in  the  capital  of  the  country  had  disappeared. 


MADAGASCAR  AND  ITS  PEOPLE. 


45 


Two  military  expeditions  had  left  the  capital  in  June  for 
the  Sakalava  districts,  below  the  hills  on  the  south-west,  in 
order  to  punish  a  series  of  cattle  robberies  which  had  been 
for  some  time  perpetrated  by  the  tribes  in  that  quarter. 
They  were  headed  by  two  of  the  chief  officers  of  the 
government,  the  chief  Secretary  of  State  and  his  son  ; 
some  four  thousand  five  hundred  soldiers  had  accompanied 
them,  drawn  from  all  parts  of  the  country,  as  also  a 
numerous  body  of  aides-de-camp  and  personal  followers 
usually  resident  in  the  city.  Besides  sending  these  expe- 
ditions against  her  enemies,  the  Queen  had  gone  wTith  a 
larger  body  of  her  people  on  a  friendly  visit  to  the 
Betsileo  Province.  She  was  accompanied  by  several 
thousand  soldiers,  and  by  a  large  number  of  the  principal 
members  of  the  Government,  who  had  taken  with  them 
their  children  and  the  family  servants  and  slaves.  There 
were  at  least  sixteen  thousand  people  in  the  camp ;  some 
thought  that  there  were  more.  The  result  wras  that  the 
city  seemed  empty ;  the  churches  were  empty ;  half  the 
preachers  were  drawn  off  from  the  congregations  in  the 
province ;  the  schoolmasters  had  left  their  schools ;  the 
best  children  were  absent  with  their  parents.  Society  was 
greatly  disorganised.  Ordinary  pursuits  were  interrupted; 
artisans,  workmen,  labourers  had  disappeared ;  thousands 
of  bearers  were  following  the  camp ;  and  Imerina  generally 
was  taking  holiday. 

In  its  usual  condition  Antananaeivo  is  a  large  place. 
There  is  no  place  like  it  in  the  island.  Dr.  David- 
son, who  has  carefully  looked  into  the  matter,  thinks 
that  it  contains  a  population  of  seventy  or  eighty 
thousand  persons.    My  experience  of  Indian  cities  long 


40 


FIBST  EXPERIENCES  OF 


since  led  rne  to  reckon  that  a  compact  native  town,  a  mile 
square,  contains  about  eighty  thousand  inhabitants.  Now 
the  dwellings  of  Antananarivo,  carefully  examined,  will  be 
found  to  cover  that  amount  of  space,  and  I  think  with 
Dr.  Davidson  that  that  is  the  number  of  the  population. 
The  city  is  built  upon  a  high  and  prominent  hill,  having 
three  elevated  points.  The  hill  is  nearly  two  miles  long, 
but  it  does  not  stand  perfectly  alone.  Its  eastern  side  is 
a  curved  line,  but  on  the  west  it  has  two  projecting  hills, 
firmly  attached  by  connecting  ridges.  Between  these 
projections  is  the  plain  of  Imahamasina,  "  the  place  of 
consecration,"  where  at  times  the  sovereigns  of  Imerina 
have  been  crowned.  On  the  northern  projection  is  the 
great  suburb  of  Isotry,  and  the  Zoma  market-place.  The 
northern  continuation  of  the  city  hill  proper  is  the  suburb 
of  Faravohitra ;  and  between  these  two,  in  the  valley 
below,  are  the  plain  and  village  of  Analakely.  At  the 
point  where  the  two  sides  of  the  valley  meet,  and  the 
suburban  hill  joins  the  main  hill,  is  Ambatonakanga. 
Sloping  upwards  to  the  main  hill  is  a  rocky  road,  Amba- 
tovinaky,  on  the  side  of  which  is  the  Norwegian  Church, 
and  at  the  top  of  which  is  Imarivolanitra,  "  the  town  in 
the  sky."  Passing  this,  the  traveller  comes  to  the  open 
plain  of  Andohalo,  a  piece  of  level  ground  on  the  crest  of 
the  hill,  where  the  laws  are  usually  promulgated.  Farther 
still,  he  reaches  the  highest  point  of  the  city,  on  which,  in 
a  most  commanding  position,  and  visible  to  the  whole 
country,  stands  the  rova  or  palace.  At  the  southern  end 
of  the  hill  is  Ambohipotsy,  "  white  town,"  so  named  from 
the  white  cliffs  with  which  the  suburb  terminates.  Viewed 
from  the  east,  the  whole  side  of  this  lofty  hill  is  seen  to 


MADAGASCAR  AND  ITS  PEOPLE. 


47 


be  studded  with  houses  on  a  series  of  platforms  or  terraces 
cut  into  the  hill  side.  In  the  centre  and  at  the  south  end, 
they  are  packed  closely  together ;  toward  the  north,  on 
the  slope  of  Faravohitra  they  are  less  numerous  and 
regular.  On  its  west  side  Ambohipotsy  is  very  crowded, 
and  the  hill  is  not  only  very  steep,  but  is  covered  with 
enormous  boulders.  On  the  slope  at  Andohalo  the  houses 
aie  also  closely  set;  and  between  these  two  places  are  the 
steep  cliffs  of  Ampamarinana,  a  hundred  and  fifty  feet 
high,  over  which  the  martyrs  were  thrown.  To  me  the 
most  regular  and  picturesque  portion  of  the  city  is  the 
west  face  of  the  Faravohitra  hill,  /which  overhangs  the 
valley  and  plain  of  Analakely.  It  is  well  planted  with  trees, 
amongst  which  the  Cape  lilacs  are  numerous.  Conspicuous 
on  the  crest  of  the  hill  is  the  Memorial  Church,  while 
farther  south  is  a  line  of  neat  dwelling-houses,  belonging 
to  the  Friends'  Mission. 

The  name  of  the  city  is  said  by  Mr.  Ellis  to  mean  "  the 
thousand  towns,"  and  to  indicate  the  sense  of  importance 
attached  by  patriotic  Malagasy  to  the  size  and  beauty  of 
their  capital.  But  this  is  a  mistake.  Native  gentlemen 
explain  its  meaning  thus :  When  the  founder  of  the  city 
in  its  present  form  took  possession  of  the  hill,  with  a  view 
to  erect  upon  it  the  capital  of  his  new  and  wider  kingdom, 
he  brought  from  Alasora,  his  previous  residence,  a  large 
body  of  selected  soldiers  and  colonists,  whom  he  settled  on 
the  west  side  of  the  hill ;  and  he  called  his  capital  "  the 
town  of  the  thousand."  This  practice  of  artificially  build- 
ing up  cities  by  a  transferred  population  has  been  common 
in  the  East,  and  the  Malagasy  word  arivo,  "  thousand,"  is 
connected  with  it.    Thus  the  principal  town  or  capital  of 


48 


FIRST  EXPERIENCES  OF 


Imamo  is  called  Arivonimamo.  The  capital  of  the  district 
south  of  the  Ankarat  mountains  is  called  Anvo,  though 
known  generally  by  the  name  of  Betafo.  The  chief  town 
of  one  of  the  Ibara  tribes  is  Benarivo.  At  the  outset  the 
town  of  Antananarivo  was  of  moderate  size.  But  as  the 
kingdom  grew,  and  under  Impoinimerina  and  his  son 
Eadama  attained  strength  and  importance,  the  number  of 
officers  increased,  their  immediate  dependants  multiplied, 
the  army  became  more  numerous,  and  all  the  trades  con- 
nected with  an  active  population  naturally  extended  with 
them.  Large  portions  of  the  hill,  however,  remained  unoc- 
cupied ;  and  it  is  during  the  last  twelve  years,  with  the 
new  life  which  has  been  infused  into  the  kingdom,  that  the 
open  spaces  have  rapidly  been  filled.  Ten  years  ago, 
Faravohitra  was  a  bare  and  empty  suburb ;  it  is  now  being 
rapidly  covered  with  houses ;  and  large  villages  a  mile 
beyond  it,  like  Ankadifotsy  and  Manjakaray,  have  grown 
populous  likewise. 

I  need  not  pause  here  to  describe  the  houses  of  the 
Malagasy  or  their  habits  and  condition  generally.  We 
saw  little  of  these  things  during  the  few  days  of  our  first 
visit ;  while  they  became  familiar  to  us  at  a  later  period 
when  the  city  was  once  more  full,  and  we  spent  several 
months  among  its  people.  We  now  took  a  general  view 
of  things,  and  especially  visited  those  places  and  buildings 
which  are  peculiarly  identified  with  the  religious  history 
and  progress  of  the  people.  Living  in  the  midst  of  the 
English  community,  it  was  a  great  pleasure  to  make  close 
acquaintance  with  our  missionary  brethren,  in  their  homes 
as  well  as  in  their  work  ;  to  hear  of  their  plans,  to  join  in 
worship  with  their  congregations,  and  visit  their  schools. 


MADAGASCAR  AND  ITS  PEOPLE. 


41< 


Our  intercourse  with  the  native  brethren  also  was  very 
pleasant.  Many  of  the  principal  pastors  were  absent :  but 
others  who  remained  manifested  a  sincere  interest  in  our 
visit,  and  expressed  in  warm  terms  their  affection  to  the 
Society,  from  whose  early  labours  in  the  island  they  had 
obtained  their  first  knowledge  of  Christian  truth.  Mala- 
gasy affection  always  takes  a  practical  and  hospitable 
form.  Both  at  Tamatave  and  at  the  stopping  stations  on 
our  way  up-country,  the  churches  and  the  authorities  had 
offered  us  little  presents  of  fowls,  turkeys,  eggs,  and  rice, 
suitable  for  travellers  on  a  journey.  Here  also  they  did 
the  same,  and  in  token  of  their  union  the  churches  joined 
together  and  made  their  gift  substantial.  The  missionaries 
were  of  opinion,  from  the  manner  in  which  our  visit 
was  being  regarded  by  our  converts,  that  it  would  be  pro- 
ductive of  benefits  of  many  kinds.  Before  we  left  the 
island,  that  opinion  was  amply  justified.  It  was  plain 
that  great  good  had  been  done  by  it.  In  a  quiet,  unosten- 
tatious way  it  was  seen  that  the  affection  of  the  Malagasy 
churches  for  their  English  friends  "  over  the  sea,"  and 
their  confidence  in  their  help,  had  grown  very  strong  ;  and 
that  they  were  resolved  to  maintain  an  unwavering  attach- 
ment to  those  who,  in  the  dark  days  had  faithfully 
stood  by  them. 


D 


OHAPTEE  III. 


VISIT  TO  THE  BETSILEO  PROVINCE. 


The  Betsileo  Province,  its  importance  and  position — The  Mission  recent — 
Journey  thither — The  Ankarat  Mountains,  their  breadth  and  height — 
Encamp  at  the  foot — The  Vava  Vato — Bet£fo  and  Slrabe* — The  River 
Mania — Ambositra — Nandlhizana — Ambohinamboarina — Ikala — The 
Matsiatra  River — Fianarantsoa — Visit  of  the  Queen  to  the  Province — 
Worship  in  the  Camp — Examination  of  the  Schools — The  Tanala — Our 
Visit  to  Ambohimandroso  and  Imahazony — The  Southern  Terrace  and 
hills — The  Ibara  Tribes — Ambdndrombe — The  Iarindrano — Fiana- 
rantsoa again — Ifanjakana — Latitudes  and  Heights — General  Conclu- 
sions concerning  the  Betsileo  Province  :  its  Population  and  Resources 
— Religious  condition — New  arrangements  of  the  Mission  for  its  In- 
struction— Return  to  the  Capital. 


CHAPTER  III 


VISIT  TO  THE  BETSILEO  PROVINCE. 

South  of  Imerina  lies  the  Betsileo  province,  containing  a 
most  important  section  of  the  Malagasy  people.  The  pro- 
vince is  long  and  narrow ;  and,  like  Imerina,  it  occupies 
the  entire  breadth  of  the  upper  plateau  of  the  island.  It 
has  for  fifty  years  been  under  the  Hbva  Government ;  but 
to  English  people  it  remained  almost  unknown  till  recent 
days.  After  the  reopening  of  the  mission  in  Imerina, 
difficulties  were  experienced  in  the  endeavour  to  visit  the 
Betsileo  people.  Even  Mr.  Ellis  could  not  make  his  way 
thither.  We  knew  nothing  of  their  towns  and  rivers,  ex- 
cept their  names.  At  length,  in  1868,  Mr.  Toy  and  Mr. 
Jukes  travelled  through  the  churches.  Members  of  other 
missions  also  paid  them  visits.  Then  Mr.  Richardson  was 
sent  from  England  to  commence  a  separate  mission  in  the 
province,  and  settled  in  its  chief  town  Eianarantsoa.  Other 
missionaries  have  since  joined  him ;  and  now  our  Directors 
were  anxious  to  learn  to  what  extent  the  people  still  re- 
quired their  aid. 

As  the  dry  season  had  yet  six  weeks  to  run  after  our 
arrival,  my  colleague  and  I  prepared  to  employ  it  in  visit- 
ing the  Betsileo  province.    And  we  set  out  without  delay. 


54 


VISIT  TO  THE  BETSILEO  PROVINCE. 


We  carried  with  us  our  two  tents,  eleven  feet  square,  with 
a  small  one  of  nine  feet ;  and  found  our  camp  equipage 
and  English  stores  of  even  greater  service  than  during  our 
journey  from  the  coast.  Many  of  the  bearers  wTho  had 
brought  us  from  Tamatave,  offered  their  services  for  this 
longer  journey.  Mr.  Cameron,  who  has  been  a  member  of 
the  mission  nearly  fifty  years,  and  the  Eev.  W.  E.  Cousins, 
kindly  consented  to  accompany  us ;  and  throughout  our 
rough  but  pleasant  tour  they  proved  most  kind  and  agree- 
able companions,  and  rendered  us  great  service. 

We  left  the  capital  on  Wednesday,  September  10th. 
Our  course  was  directed  in  the  first  instance  to  the  south 
and  west,  that  we  might  pass  through  the  Ankarat  moun- 
tains, and  pay  a  visit  to  some  of  the  [Norwegian  Missions 
in  Betafo  and  Sirabe.  Our  road  lay  across  the  Ikopa 
river,  and  past  the  "  famous  rock  "  of  Ambatomalaza.  This 


TURTLE-HEAD  ROCK — AMBATOMALAZA. 


VISIT  TO  THE  BET  SI  LEO  PROVINCE. 


55 


rock  is  conspicuous,  not  only  from  the  capital,  but  from 
distant  parts  of  Imerina ;  it  is  a  portion  of  a  gneiss  ridge, 
and  an  enormous  turtle-head  stands  out  grandly  at  the 
top.  The  river  Sisaony  flows  at  its  foot  on  its  way  to  the 
Ikopa.  The  valley  is  full  of  villages ;  indeed  all  this 
southern  corner  of  Imerina  is  thickly  peopled ;  and  we 
have  a  large  number  of  churches  and  congregations  crowded 
within  a  small  space.  Having  crossed  the  beautiful  basin 
of  the  Andromba  river,  full  of  villages  and  pine-apple 
fields,  we  commenced  a  steady  ascent  of  the  long  lava 
fingers  of  Ankarat  and  pitched  our  camp  on  the  second 
day,  under  the  sheltered  side  of  the  lofty  hill  of  Ambohi- 
tsampax,  seven  thousand  feet  above  the  sea. 

At  this  height  the  south-east  winds  blow  hard  and  cold. 
But  the  three  tents,  firmly  pinned,  afforded  thorough 
shelter;  and  when  our  beds  and  boxes  had  been  duly 
arranged,  we  spent  a  cosy,  comfortable  evening.  The  men 
all  left  us  (except  our  servants)  to  find  shelter  in  scattered 
houses.  The  night  proved  cold,  and  before  sunrise  the 
thermometer  had  fallen  to  forty  degrees ;  a  thick  mist  lay 
on  the  hills,  and  there  was  slight  rain. 

When  the  mist  had  cleared  on  the  following  morning, 
we  climbed  to  the  summit  of  our  hill,  and  had  a  fine  view 
on  every  side.  The  other  great  peaks  of  Ankarat  lay  to 
the  south,  still  somewhat  veiled ;  on  the  west  was  a  sea  of 
hills  and  long  ridges;  far  in  the  north-east,  among  the 
hundred  hills  of  Imerina  was  the  Capital.  Careful  obser- 
vation showed  that  the  peak  of  Ambohitsampan  has  a 
height  of  eight  thousand  feet  above  the  sea.  The  observa- 
tions were  made  both  by  the  boiling-water  point  and  by 
Aneroid  barometer.    Our  camp  was  more  than  seven  thou- 


56 


VISIT  TO  THE  BET  SI  LEO  PROVINCE. 


sand  feet  above  the  sea ;  and  the  ascent  of  the  peak  was 
eight  hundred  feet.  On  other  occasions  we  had  good  op- 
portunities of  examining  the  extent  and  character  of  these 
noble  mountains,  and  I  now  briefly  state  the  conclusions 
to  which  we  came  respecting  them. 

The  Ankarat  Mountains  are  the  loftiest  in  Madagascar. 
They  are  of  volcanic  origin;  they  have  been  protruded 
through  the  gneiss  and  granite  of  the  great  central  range 
of  the  island,  and  they  lie  some  fifteen  miles  west  of  the 
watershed  of  that  range.  This  mountain  mass  rests  on  an 
enormous  base.  Taking  account  of  the  long  fingers  or 
tongues  of  lava  which  have  flowed  out  from  the  centre  in 
all  directions,  it  will  be  seen  that  it  covers  a  space  of  six 
hundred  square  miles.  It  appears  broad  rather  than  high. 
From  the  Imerina  plain,  four  thousand  feet  above  the  sea, 
the  lava  slopes  upward  from  its  junction  with  the  clay,  till 
the  ground  attains  the  height  of  six  and  seven  thousand 
feet,  when  we  reach  the  base  of  the  great  central  peaks. 
These  occupy  a  space  of  fifty-four  square  miles.  They  are 
five  in  number,  with  minor  elevations  between.  M.  Gran- 
didier  calls  one  of  them,  Ambohitrakoholahy,  the  highest ; 
but  here  he  is  mistaken.  We  ascended  two  of  these  peaks, 
measured  the  height  of  a  third  by  theodolite ;  and  even- 
tually Mr.  Cameron's  native  assistant  ascended  and  mea- 
sured all  five.    The  heights  of  the  whole  are  as  follows : — 

Tsi-aia-zavona,  8950  feet. 
Tsi-^fak-afo,  8820  feet.  Amb<5bimirandrana,  8780  feet. 

AmbdhitrakohoMhy,  8200  feet.       Ambdhitsampan,  8000  feet. 

Each  of  these  grand  hills  presents  a  striking  appearance 
Ambohitsampan  is  conical,  and  has  a  double  head,  whence 
its  name ;  it  is  conspicuous  from  the  Capital,  and  seems  to 


VISIT  TO  THE  BETSILEO  PROVINCE. 


57 


be  the  highest  of  the  group.  Ambohitrakoholahy  is  also 
in  two  parts,  and  has  a  beautiful  cone  on  its  east  side. 
Ambohimirandrana  stands  in  the  centre  of  the  group  ;  and 
Mr.  Pillans  ascended  it  without  difficulty.  Tsi-afak-afo 
faces  the  west ;  it  is  a  noble  mountain  with  a  lofty  peak ; 
and  as  its  precipices  slope  rapidly  on  that  side,  it  forms  a 
grand  and  conspicuous  object  on  a  clear  day,  over  a  vast 
reach  of  country.  We  fixed  its  position  with  great  care, 
and  its  name  often  appears  in  our  survey-lists.  Tsi-afa- 
zavona  is  the  noblest  of  all  the  peaks ;  it  slopes  up  grandly 
to  a  lofty  point ;  and  looked  at  from  the  eastern  foot  of  the 
range  it  is  a  striking  object  indeed.  Vast  jagged  precipices 
lie  immediately  beneath  its  crown.  When  the  east  wind 
blows  it  is  "rarely  free  from  mists,"  whence  its  name.  It 
is  seldom  ascended ;  and  the  villagers  of  the  plain  beneath 
it  were  greatly  opposed  to  any  effort  on  our  part  to  climb 
it.  They  have  a  superstitious  dread  of  the  anger  of  some 
invisible,  intangible  power  ruling  over  these  great  hills ; 
and  to  him  they  sacrifice  fowls  on  the  top  of  the  hills  in 
times  of  pestilence  and  peril.  We  tried  to  ascend  the  great 
peak  on  two  successive  days,  but  were  baffled  by  the  thick 
mists.  The  whole  of  the  peaks  and  of  the  mountain  mass 
are  covered  with  broken  lava ;  the  streams  of  lava  flow 
outward  from  the  centre  on  every  side,  and  on  the  south 
they  are  twenty-five  miles  in  length.  On  the  east,  at  the 
foot  of  Ankarat,  are  other  centres  of  volcanic  outflow,  and 
the  lava  hills  are  of  great  size.  We  found  many  pretty 
wild  flowers  at  the  top  of  Ambohitsampan ;  and  the  small 
aloe,  having  dark  green  leaves  tipped  with  crimson,  and  a 
bright  orange  flower,  grows  in  abundance  all  over  these 
lofty  hills. 


58 


VISIT  TO  THE  BETSILEO  PROVINCE. 


Striking  our  little  camp,  we  started  to  the  westward : 
and  after  crossing  several  deep  ravines,  we  reached  a  broad 
grassy  ridge,  one  of  the  lava  tongues ;  along  which  the 
bearers  carried  us  at  a  great  pace,  so  that  we  speedily 
reached  the  pretty  valley  and  town  of  Menalalondy. 


TSI-AFAK-AFO  FROM  THE  WEST. 


The  population  in  these  parts  is  very  scanty,  and  is  to 
a  great  extent  cut  off  from  intercourse  with  more  civilised 
districts.  The  villages  are  few  and  scattered,  and  are 
planted  along  the  bottoms  of  the  valleys,  which  allow  a 
fair  cultivation  of  rice.  Yet  they  are  far  more  numerous 
than  they  were  when  Mr.  Cameron  first  travelled  this  way, 
forty  years  ago.  The  people  are  extremely  ignorant,  espe- 
cially of  Christian  truth  ;  nevertheless  every  large  village 
has  its  chapel :  the  Friends  are  striving  to  meet  the 
wants  of  this  border  of  their  district ;  volunteer  teachers 


VISIT  TO  THE  BETSILEO  PROVINCE.  59 


render  what  service  they  can;  and  the  longing  of  the 
people  for  higher  and  fuller  knowledge  of  the  truth  is 
unmistakeable.  Here  and  there  also  individuals  of  marked 
piety  are  like  "  the  salt  of  the  earth  "  among  their  neigh- 
bours. 

Journeying  on  to  Manjakandrian,  and  thence  by  the 
lake  of  Yinanynony  to  Betafo,  we  found  objects  of  deepest 
interest  at  every  step.  Shapely  valleys  and  lofty  hills, 
covered  with  gneiss  boulders,  were  before  and  around  us. 
Below  Anzazamadinika  a  little  river  runs  through  a  nar- 
row ravine,  and  the  boulders  have  so  rolled  in  and  filled 
the  ravine  that  for  a  quarter  of  a  mile  the  river  disappears 
under  ground.  Mounting  the  opposite  bank  we  were  con- 
fronted by  a  fine  conical  hill,  Tsi-afak-alika,  "  that  which 
a  dog  cannot  climb."  West  of  Manjakandrian  is  a  lofty 
hill,  Marovitsika,  "many  ants  ;"  and  beyond  it  another,  in 
an  exposed  position,  Bemasoandro,  "having  plenty  of 
sun."  To  the  south  of  the  village  is  the  hill  of  Be-voha, 
"  thoroughly  open."  In  this  part  of  our  journey  we  were 
constantly  crossing  small  streams  that  take  their  rise  in  the 
roots  of  Ankarat ;  and  it  was  a  great  pleasure,  six  months 
afterwards,  when  travelling  through  Menabe,  to  meet  them 
again  as  large  rivers,  and  to  see  in  the  distance  the  great 
hills  at  whose  foot  we  had  encamped.  The  lake  of 
Yinanynony  is  formed  by  one  of  these  streams,  flowing 
strong  and  clear  from  under  the  lava ;  it  is  two  miles 
square ;  and  is  drained  to  the  west  by  the  Sahomby  river, 
which  becomes  a  large  stream  and  finally  joins  the  Kit- 
samby. 

Beyond  Yinanynony  we  came  into  the  long,  closed  alleys 
of  the  Yava  Yato,  a  vast  collection  cf  serrated  ridges  of 


GO 


VISIT  TO  THE  BETSILEO  PROVINCE. 


pure  felspar  granite.  We  struck  them  on  the  north-east 
side  and  passed  through  their  eastern  valleys.  Six  months 
later  we  mounted  their  central  ridges  and  stood  on  the 
loftiest  peak  of  the  whole,  the  great  rock  of  lavohaikia.  I 
will  speak  of  them  more  particularly  at  that  point.  From 
these  alleys  we  came  again  on  to  the  red  clay ;  and  descend- 
ing rapidly,  two  thousand  feet,  into  the  deep  basin  of  Betafo, 
encamped  in  the  grounds  of  the  Norwegian  Mission. 

I  will  not  dilate  here  upon  the  beauties  of  this  noble 
basin,  cut  out  of  the  clay  deposits  by  the  upheavings  of 
earthquakes  and  the  action  of  powerful  streams;  or  de- 
scribe its  thousands  of  rice  terraces  cut  in  the  hill-sides, 
from  which  twenty  thousand  people,  year  by  year,  gather 
their  golden  harvest.  I  will  pass  over  our  visit  to  the  hot 
springs;  the  garden- walls  of  black  lava  in  the  lower  villages ; 
the  fine  cascade  of  the  Loalambo ;  the  royal  tombs  of  the 
ancient  line  of  Betafo  kings,  and  the  hill-fortress  on  the 
south,  from  which  they  commanded  the  country.  Nor 
will  I  pause  to  describe  the  old  craters  which  we  found  so 
abundant;  the  great  lava-field  in  their  midst;  and  the  lime- 
pits  and  deposits  of  Sirabe.  All  these  we  saw  to  greater 
advantage  at  a  later  time  and  learned  to  understand  more 
fully.  Many  of  the  Norwegian  brethren  were  absent  also 
from  their  spheres  of  labour,  through  sickness  or  on  duty  ; 
but  we  visited  them  again  and  heard  more  completely 
about  their  work.  Only  one  did  we  see  on  our  present 
journey,  Mr.  Bosaas;  and  from  him  and  his  good  wife  at 
Sirabe  we  received  the  heartiest  welcome. 

From  Sirabe  to  Ambositra  we  kept  the  western  road, 
down  the  valley  of  the  Manandona  and  found  throughout 
it  objects  of  interest,  of  which  (like  most  others  above 


VISIT  TO  THE  BETSILEO  PROVINCE.  61 


referred  to)  books  contain  no  notice.  West  of  the  Manan- 
dona  is  a  noble  granite  mass,  the  hills  of  Ibety.  The 
Manandona  valley  is  a  fine  rice  plain ;  and  its  river  has  but 
a  narrow  outlet  through  the  granite  range.  When  a  heavy 
flood  comes  suddenly  down  from  the  ]ong  valleys  of  An- 
karat,  the  valley  is  submerged ;  it  "  gets  a  bath,"  as  the 
name  implies,  until  the  waters  can  pass  off  through  the 
ravine  to  the  Mania.  Beyond  the  point  where  the  river 
goes  west,  the  valley  is  continued  southward  between 
high  and  precipitous  hills.  Beyond  Ambohinianjaka, 
again,  where  we  stayed,  the  valley  is  covered  with  huge 
boulders  of  graphite  granite ;  and  to  the  south  of  Ilaka  and 
its  broad  rice-basin,  the  ravines  are  numerous  and  deep. 
We  never  had  in  Madagascar  a  journey  so  difficult  or  dis- 
tressing, as  the  travel  of  that  long  Saturday  morning, 
when  we  were  carried  over  the  narrow  paths,  up  and  down 
the  steep  ravines  which  immediately  open  upon  the  Mania. 
But  we  forgot  our  troubles  and  our  hunger,  when  we 
reached  the  open  valley  of  the  Mania,  and  saw  the  waters 
tumbling  in  creamy  foam  over  the  huge  boulders  with 
which  for  three  hundred  yards  the  stream  is  barred.  These 
boulders  form  a  natural  bridge ;  and  we  crossed  the  river, 
jumping  short  distances  from  one  to  another,  while  the 
river  ran  boiling  and  foaming  between  and  underneath 
them.  All  around  us  were  lofty  cones,  mountain-masses, 
rugged  precipices.  The  sight  was  truly  grand,  and  we 
lingered  over  it  long. 

The  men  had  eaten  nothing  all  day;  but  we  found  some 
quiet  villages  higher  up  the  river  and  the  rain  compelled 
us  to  remain.  We  had  narrow  quarters  in  a  real  Betsileo 
house,  surrounded  by  the  live  stock  of  the  proprietor.  The 


62 


VISIT  TO  THE  BETSILEO  PROVINCE. 


family  goose  was  " sitting;"  the  fowls  were  active  and 
hungry ;  the  mice  ran  busily  about  us ;  the  ducks  quacked 
at  intervals  all  night ;  and  the  cocks  crowed  early  in  the 
morning.  I  slept  soundly  through  it  all,  as  did  Mr. 
Cameron  in  his  little  tent  outside.  Mr.  Pillans  however 
was  not  so  happy.  We  left  early  the  next  day;  and  after 
a  rapid  run  of  two  hours  down  a  long  slope,  we  arrived  in 
good  time  for  service  at  the  town  of  Ambositra.  Here  we 
found  our  colleague  Mr.  Cousins,  who  had  come  from  the 
Capital  by  the  direct  road,  and  had  brought  us  English 
letters ;  and  here  we  spent  two  delightful  days. 

We  had  now  reached  the  Betsileo  Province.  Ambositra 
is  the  chief  town  of  its  northern  division,  and  is  4320  feet 
above  the  sea.  It  stands  on  a  low  hill,  in  the  centre  of  a 
wide,  well-watered  basin  :  it  contains  over  two  hundred 
houses ;  and  numerous  villages,  and  small  clumps  of  houses 
termed  "valas,"  are  scattered  over  the  basin,  among  the 
fertile  fields.  The  basin  is  bounded  by  lofty  hills  on  the 
east  and  west ;  other  valleys  are  found  behind  these  hills, 
though  the  population  which  they  contain  is  thinner.  On 
the  east,  about  fifteen  miles  away,  is  the  town  of  Mady,  on 
the  Mady  river ;  it  also  has  several  villages  in  its  neigh- 
bourhood. To  an  English  eye,  and  to  the  eye  of  a  mis- 
sionary who  knows  anything  of  India  or  China,  the  country 
appears  thinly  peopled.  Some  of  the  first  missionaries 
who  came  and  looked  at  this  district,  doubted  whether  it 
was  of  sufficient  importance  to  constitute  it  a  principal 
station  of  the  mission.  My  colleague  and  I  had  little  hesi- 
tation on  the  subject  at  our  first  visit.  Upon  our  return, 
after  traversing  the  entire  province,  we  felt  no  doubt  what- 
ever.   On  the  contrary,  in  relation  to  the  country  gene- 


VISIT  TO  THE  BETSILEO  FORVINCE. 


63 


rally  we  deem  Ambositra  a  place  of  great  importance. 
Within  the  district  are  some  five  thousand  "hetra"  or 
holdings,  representing  as  many  families,  and  about  thirty 
thousand  people.  The  town  contains  a  thousand  people ; 
and  twenty  thousand  lie  within  a  half-day's  journey  from 
it.  Eight  congregations  are  connected  with  the  central 
church,  and  five  others  with  the  church  at  Mady.  Ambo- 
sitra lies  on  the  high  road  from  the  Capital:  its  broad, 
rich  valley,  full  of  people,  is  a  refreshing  resting-place  for 
those  who  have  traversed  the  granite  moors  and  valleys, 
north  and  west ;  the  forest  and  its  rough  ridges  are  beyond 
Mady  to  the  east,  with  a  road  into  the  Tanala  district ;  and 
on  the  south,  scarcely  a  village  is  seen  for  a  whole  day, 
among  the  rocky  lines  of  hill  which  cross  the  country. 

We  were  glad  to  see  congregations  of  more  than  three 
hundred  people  in  the  chapel,  during  both  services  on  the 
Sunday  of  our  arrival ;  although  a  large  number  of  the 
residents  were  at  Fianaran  with  the  Queen.  We  were 
heartily  thanked  for  our  visit.  And  a  formal  deputation  of 
the  chief  members  and  elders  of  the  church,  on  the  follow- 
ing day,  warmly  pressed  a  request  on  us  that  we  should 
secure  for  them  the  appointment  of  an  English  missionary. 
Happily  we  were  all  of  one  mind  on  the  subject.  At  a 
later  stage  of  our  visit,  Mr.  Brockway  volunteered  to  re- 
move to  the  station;  and  Mrs.  Brockway  and  he  have  long 
since  settled  at  Ambositra,  with  excellent  prospects  of  use- 
fulness. 

Having  spent  a  quiet  Monday  in  surveying  the  basin  of 
Ambositra  and  given  our  men  a  holiday,  we  proceeded 
south  the  following  day  to  the  chief  town  of  the  second 
division  of  the  province,  the  town  of  Zoma-Nandihi'zana. 


G4 


VISIT  TO  THE  BET  SI  LEO  PROVINCE. 


We  passed  .on  the  road  several  isolated  valleys,  empty  of 
inhabitants ;  and  rested  at  mid-day  under  the  noble  rocks 
of  a  ridge  5680  feet  high,  which  crossed  the  country,  called 
Angavo  or  "  the  heights."  We  next  entered  a  strip  of  the 
"primeval  forest,"  which  here  projects  into  the  open 
country ;  and  then  suddenly  descended  twelve  hundred 
feet,  down  the  valley,  to  our  resting-place.  The  whole 
Betsileo  country  is  celebrated  for  its  rice  terraces.  They 
are  cut  on  the  hill-side  wherever  a  spring  pours  its  water 
from  the  rock.  But  amongst  all  the  results  of  industry 
and  ingenuity  which  we  saw  in  the  province,  we  admired 
none  so  much  as  the  hundreds  of  green  terraces  that  were 
cut  on  the  face  of  this  amphitheatre  in  the  hills  above 
Nandihizana.  Several  streams  rise  in  the  neighbouring 
hills  and  forest ;  and  they  are  made  to  do  ample  service 
before  they  escape  into  the  rocky  ravine  at  the  bottom  of 
the  basin,  and  find  their  way  into  the  Sakalava  plains. 

The  next  part  of  our  journey  lay  along  the  crest  of  one 
of  the  clay  ridges ;  having  deep  valleys  on  the  east  and 
west,  with  parallel  ridges  and  valleys,  three  or  four  in 
number,  on  each  side.  Far  away  on  the  east  were  three 
towering  hills  in  the  forest,  overhanging  the  great  wall 
above  the  valley  of  the  Tanala.  From  this  lofty  ridge,  4900 
feet  above  the  sea,  we  had  a  fine  view  of  the  country  to  a 
great  distance  on  each  side.  It  was  very  regular  in  its 
lines  of  hills;  and  the  valleys  between  were  green  and  fair: 
but  the  wild  south-easter  blew  hard  and  cold,  and  we  did 
not  wonder  that  when  the  forest  is  once  cut  down,  it  is 
almost  impossible  to  replace  it.  At  noon  we  rested  at  a 
small  village  a  mile  from  Ikiangara,  near  which  are  several 
remarkable  tombs ;  and  an  ancient  fortress  on  an  isolated 


VISIT  TO  THE  BETSILEO  PROVINCE. 


05 


hill.  The  fort  was  defended  by  six  or  seven  fosses,  cut 
like  rings  deep  into  the  slope  of  the  hill ;  and  must  have 
been  very  difficult  of  approach.  These  fosses  abound  in 
all  parts  of  the  country.  Their  sides  are  perpendicular : 
they  are  from  ten  to  twenty  feet  broad,  and  about  sixteen 
feet  deep.  They  are  to  be  crossed  generally  at  only  one 
point,  where  the  clay  has  been  left  solid ;  and  here  will  be 
found  the  city  gate.  Old  Ambositra,  now  deserted,  to  the 
south  of  the  present  town,  is  a  good  specimen  of  a  fortified 
town.  Except  for  the  guarding  of  the  cattle,  these  deep 
ditches  are  in  these  peaceful  days  a  great  inconvenience 
to  every  one.  They  are  often  planted  with  plantain  and 
other  tropical  trees,  which  benefit  by  their  warm  shelter. 
After  a  short  day's  run  we  reached  the  town  of  Ambohi- 
namboarina. 

This  town  has  a  larger  population  than  Xandihi'zana :  but 
it  is  by  no  means  a  pleasant  place.  Dirty  and  full  of  pigs 
it  stands  on  the  slope  of  a  hill,  under  a  high  ridge ;  it  has 
deep  fosses  on  the  land  side,  and  on  other  three  sides  it  is 
enclosed  by  the  Fanindrona  river,  recently  strengthened  by 
the  waters  of  the  Isahatony.  The  rice  valleys  are  numerous 
in  the  neighbourhood:  and  there  are  some  thirty  small 
villages  scattered  about  it.  A  cleaner  and  more  open 
place  of  residence,  with  useful  labours,  would  be  found  in 
the  neighbouring  valley  of  Ikala.  This  basin  is  two  miles 
square,  level  and  full  of  villages,  of  which  the  largest, 
Maharivo,  has  a  chapeL  On  the  west  side  of  the  basin 
are  two  enormous  promontories  of  gneiss  rock,  jutting 
from  a  mountain  mass  much  higher  than  themselves,  while 
great  boulders  lie  at  their  feet. 

In  this  part  of  the  province  the  hills  and  valleys  are 

E 


66  VISIT  TO  THE  BETSILEO  PROVINCE. 


truly  beautiful.  As  we  passed  on  we  had  the  rich  valley  of 
Ianjanana  on  our  left  with  the  river  Mango  ;  and  the  town 
itself  on  a  towering  height  above  us.  The  river  Matsiatra, 
holding  so  important  a  place  in  the  geography  and  social 
rule  of  the  province,  was  meeting  us  in  front;  then  it 
turned  westward,  where  the  long  ridges  of  Ifanjakana 
make  a  lofty  back -ground  to  the  rural  picture.  We 
crossed  a  fine  open  plain  in  the  centre,  on  the  east  of  the 
river,  and  passing  the  site  of  the  Queen's  camp  and  the 
Market  of  the  locality,  settled  for  the  night  in  the  damp 
chapel  of  Ivohitromby. 

On  Friday  the  bearers  were  all  excitement.  We  were 
to  arrive  at  Fianarantsoa,  the  capital  of  the  province,  where 
the  Queen  was  now  encamped  and  where  they  would  meet 
with  hosts  of  friends.  They  therefore  donned  their  best 
and  our  servants  had  the  breakfast  cooked  long  before  we 
were  ready  to  partake  of  it.  Immediately  on  starting  we 
crossed  the  Matsiatra  on  a  wooden  bridge,  resting  on 
twenty-six  stone  piers,  built  in  the  rocky,  shallow  bed. 
Noble  hills  were  about  us  all  the  way.  A  grand  ridge, 
with  the  Matsiatra  at  its  foot,  went  off  to  the  south  south- 
east. Under  the  lofty  mass  of  Avomanitra  two  level 
valleys  were  stretched  out,  containing  no  less  than  eighty 
hamlets,  with  several  chapels,  chief  of  which  wras  the  village 
of  Natao.  Beyond  this  point  we  met  the  Manulafaka  river, 
coming  through  from  the  west ;  and  then  climbing  a  lofty 
ascent,  along  which  a  broad  road  had  been  newly  cut,  we 
suddenly  came  in  sight  of  the  camp,  with  a  long  valley  at 
our  feet,  dotted  with  the  green  rings  of  the  Betsileo  valas ; 
and  beyond  them  all  the  town  of  Fianarantsoa,  crowning 
its  solitary  hill  and  standing  forth  in  calm  dignity  like  a 


VISIT  TO  THE  BETSILEO  PROVINCE. 


67 


veritable  Queen.  That  was  no  common  sight  in  this  poorly 
peopled  land. 

We  arrived  at  noon ;  met  a  warm  welcome  from  all  the 
members  of  the  mission ;  and  were  hospitably  received  into 
their  homes.  We  were  truly  fatigued  with  our  long 
journey  over  rough  roads  and  looked  forward  with  pleasure 
to  a  few  days'  rest. 

Fi an AK an-ts o A  occupies  a  commanding  position.  It  is 
built  upon  a  hill,  detached  from  the  range  to  which  it  be- 
longs ;  and  the  houses  are  erected  in  lines  upon  the  hill- 
side, but  do  not  cover  it  completely ;  they  form  three 
special  groups  upon  the  hill.  The  rova  or  Government 
stockade,  with  the  lofty  Government  house,  is  on  the  sum- 
mit of  the  hill,  4200  feet  above  the  sea,  while  the  market 
occupies  a  broad  and  open  space  at  the  bottom.  The  town 
is  in  some  respects  an  imitation  of  Antananarivo ;  and  it 
has  a  lake  and  island,  with  a  garden  and  summer  house  in 
the  centre,  resembling  (in  a  small  degree)  the  lake  on  the 
west  side  of  the  Capital.  The  town  is  larger  than  any 
other  in  the  upper  provinces  of  Madagascar,  except  the 
Capital ;  it  has  over  a  thousand  houses,  and  from  five  to 
six  thousand  people.  A  large  proportion  of  the  inhabit- 
ants are  Hovas  from  Imerina,  being  the  officers  and 
soldiers  of  the  garrison.  But  there  are  many  Betsileo; 
some  of  the  chief  civil  officers  are  Betsileo,  men  of  wealth 
and  standing  in  the  community,  with  numerous  depend- 
ents around  them.  Below  the  houses  are  planted  thick 
hedges  of  the  prickly  pear,  which  are,  next  to  the  deep 
ditches,  the  great  resource  of  Malagasy  engineers,  in  the 
fortifying  of  their  towns.  These  hedges  were  probably  a 
terror  to  their  bare-legged  and  bare-footed  enemies  in  the 


68 


VISIT  TO  THE  BETSILEO  PROVINCE. 


days  of  the  shield  and  spear.  At  present  the  traditions 
and  conservative  habits  of  the  people  maintain  them,  at 
great  inconvenience  even  to  their  well-booted  friends.  At 
the  foot  of  the  hill  there  are  four  valleys,  running  off  north, 
north-west,  and  south.  They  are  bright  and  green  in  the 
rice  season  with  a  multitude  of  fields ;  every  little  knoll 
and  peninsula  is  occupied  with  Betsileo  hamlets  and  their 
green  rings;  and  amongst  them  all  the  Eanofotsy  river 
winds  like  a  silver  thread. 

The  town  and  its  people  were  not  in  their  normal  con- 
dition during  our  visit ;  and  whether  in  relation  to  their 
ordinary  life  or  to  the  religious  state  of  the  three  churches, 
we  were  unable  to  see  for  ourselves  what  they  generally 
are  and  do.  The  visit  of  the  Queen  and  her  court  had  dis- 
arranged all  their  ordinary  concerns ;  and  that  with  good 
reason;  for  it  was  a  great  event  in  their  history;  and  it  was 
being  carried  out  in  a  spirit  which  would  render  the  visit 
a  blessing  to  the  Betsileo  people  for  many  days  to  come. 
Badama  the  first  had  entered  the  province  with  his  armies 
fifty  years  ago  to  extend  his  conquests  and  consolidate 
them.  At  an  earlier  date  his  English  drill-sergeant  had 
covered  himself  with  infamy  by  the  severity  of  his  treat- 
ment of  the  Betsileo  people,  and  of  the  Antanosis  beyond 
them.  But  though  the  Betsileos  had  remained  subject, 
even  Badama  could  not  master  the  rock-fortress  of  Ikongo. 
Tor  more  than  forty  years  the  Betsileos  had  had  a  hard 
time  tinder  Hova  rule.  They  had  been  fleeced  by  exces- 
sive exactions  and  they  had  been  left  in  complete  ignor- 
ance by  their  task-masters.  With  Christianity  came 
justice,  light,  and  peace.  The  Hova  Christians,  to  their 
honour  be  it  said,  began  to  gather  the  Betsileo  around 


VISIT  TO  THE  BET  SI  LEO  PROVINCE.  69 

them  for  worship;  they  became  ashamed  of  their  hard 
dealings,  and  their  rule  grew  much  more  gentle.  The 
presence  and  instruction  of  English  Missionaries  had 
greatly  strengthened  these  improvements ;  many  churches 
had  been  established;  hundreds  of  children  were  being 
taught  in  the  schools ;  the  Betsileo  were  as  welcome  to 
these  services  as  the  Hovas.  And  now  the  Queen  had 
come  to  see  her  people ;  to  call  them  around  her ;  to  make 
acquaintance  with  them  personally,  to  meet  them  in  their 
tribes;  and  to  speak  to  them  with  authority  on  questions 
in  which  their  welfare  was  deeply  concerned.  At  the  time 
of  our  visit  this  intercourse  of  the  Queen,  the  Prime  Minis- 
ter, and  the  chief  officers,  with  the  people  was  already 
producing  good  fruit.  The  people  were  loud  in  praise  of 
the  Queen  s  friendliness,  of  her  kind  speeches,  her  royal 
gifts.  She  had  paid  special  attention  to  the  governor  of  the 
Tanala,  the  princess  Hiovana,  a  great  favourite  with  every 
one.  And  the  camp  and  its  kabarys  were  the  resort  of 
thousands  of  visitors  every  day.  Sublunary  considerations 
had  entered  no  doubt  into  the  question  of  the  visit.  The 
herds  of  fat  cattle  offered  as  presents  meant  something ; 
and  the  officers  and  their  dependents  lived  on  Betsileo  rice. 
Nevertheless  such  things  both  the  rich  and  the  poor  of 
the  province  could  for  once  afford  to  pay  ;  and  under  the 
security  of  property  prevailing  as  the  result  of  good 
government  and  of  Christian  feeling,  material  products 
like  these  will  speedily  be  multiplied  to  them  a  hundred- 
fold. 

The  Queen's  camp  was  pitched  on  a  picturesque  knoll, 
in  the  open  valley  on  the  north  side  of  Fianaran.  Towards 
the  east  was  the  royal  court-yard,  surrounded  by  a  wooden 


70 


VISIT  TO  THE  BETSILEO  PROVINCE. 


palisade ;  in  the  centre  of  which  was  pitched  the  scarlet 
tent,  intended  for  the  Sovereign's  personal  nse ;  three  other 
tents  were  behind  it ;  in  the  corner  was  the  cooking  tent, 
a  black  affair  about  which  there  was  no  sham ;  and  on  the 
west  was  a  wooden  platform,  on  which  the  Queen  sat  with 
the  officers  of  government  around  her  in  the  public  as- 
semblies that  were  held.  The  scarlet  umbrella  held  over 
her  head,  always  denoted  to  the  people,  even  at  a  distance, 
that  their  Sovereign  had  appeared  in  public.  The  tents  of 
the  officers  and  troops,  and  the  clusters  of  tents  belonging 
to  the  Betsileo  tribes,  which  had  marched  in  from  a  dis- 
tance, were  arranged  in  excellent  order.  Many  of  the 
officers  had  brought  their  families  with  them ;  and  both 
the  camp  and  the  houses  in  the  town  were  crowded  with 
people. 

Our  arrival  was  duly  notified  to  the  Prime  Minister  and 
the  Queen;  and  on  Saturday,  at  a  special  private  audience, 
we  paid  our  respects,  and  were  graciously  received.  Num- 
erous presents  of  turkeys,  geese,  fowls,  beef,  and  eggs, 
began  to  flow  in  in  a  stream ;  and  many  of  the  leading 
Christian  people,  whose  names  are  known  in  England, 
came  to  pay  us  a  visit.  One  lively  friend  of  ours  very 
kindly  sent  her  turkeys  cooked ;  and  as  to  the  rest  my 
kind  hostess  expressed  it  as  her  opinion  that  she  would 
require  an  extra  man  to  guard  and  feed  the  extensive  stock 
of  poultry  of  which  Mr.  Cameron  and  I  had  suddenly  be- 
come possessors.  The  Churches  also  failed  not  to  notice 
our  arrival  and  sent  us  presents  of  the  same  kind. 

On  Sunday  we  had  the  pleasure  of  worshipping  with  the 
Queen  in  the  camp.  From  the  royal  platform  the  sight  of 
the  vast  congregation  was  very  striking.    There  were  eight 


VISIT  TO  THE  BETSILEO  PROVINCE.  71 


thousand  persons  present,  of  whom  the  inner  and  larger 
portion  were  seated  on  the  ground.  Beneath  the  platform, 
and  just  in  front  of  the  Queen,  were  several  rows  of 
women  who  formed  the  choir.  Beyond  them  iD  the  centre 
were  the  women  and  ladies  of  the  general  congregation. 
The  men  were  on  the  right.  And  a  broad  circle  of  men 
behind  both  closed  them  all  in.  The  dress  of  all  was 
exceedingly  neat  and  clean.  The  men  wore  the  large  straw 
hat,  usual  to  the  Hovas,  with  its  black  velvet  band.  The 
lambas  both  of  men  and  women  were  to  a  large  extent 
white ;  but  many  were  striped  with  black;  many  were  blue, 
others  of  a  check  pattern;  and  a  great  number  were  stamped 
with  pink  flowers.  Exposed  to  the  sun,  the  men  kept 
their  hats  on,  and  when  he  shone  forth  brightly,  an  army 
of  umbrellas  was  put  up,  dark  and  light  blue,  brown  and 
white,  to  temper  the  heated  rays.  Over  all  was  a  sky  of 
pale  blue,  flecked  with  clouds  driven  rapidly  by  the  strong 
south-east  winds.  The  platform  was  crowded  with  the 
ladies  and  officers  of  the  Court,  conspicuous  amongst  whom, 
and  seated  close  to  the  Queen,  was  Hiovana,  the  governor  of 
the  Tanala  tribes.  Most  were  on  the  ground ;  the  few 
chairs  had  been  brought  by  their  occupants  and  were  of 
various  shapes  and  sizes.  The  Queen  was  simply  dressed 
in  a  white  lamba,  and  had  a  large  Bible  on  her  knee  ;  the 
scarlet  umbrella  was  held  above  her  head. 

The  service  was  after  the  Congregational  and  Presbyterian 
order,  and  was  conducted  by  the  native  ministers,  with  as 
much  propriety  as  such  services  are  among  the  oldest 
Churches  in  England.  The  service  was  opened  by  an 
Anthem,  in  which  the  ninety-first  Psalm  was  sung  through, 
the  band  accompanying  in  a  most  appropriate  manner.  The 


72 


VISIT  TO  THE  BETSILEO  PROVINCE. 


Scriptures  were  then  read  and  prayer  offered.  Again 
chapter  iii.  of  Lamentations  was  sung  very  sweetly ;  and 
the  first  sermon  followed  from  the  text :  "  For  our  light 
affliction,  which  is  but  for  a  moment,  worketh  for  us  a  far 
more  exceeding  and  eternal  weight  of  glory."  The  favourite 
hymn  of  the  Malagasy,  No.  46,  was  next  given  out,  and  was 
sung  by  the  entire  congregation  with  great  spirit :  the 
Scriptures  were  again  read  and  prayer  offered.  There  was 
another  hymn  from  the  Pilgrim's  Progress,  a  favourite 
also ;  and  then  Andriambelo  preached  from  the  text : 
"  How  shall  we  escape  if  we  neglect  so  great  salvation  ? " 
The  usual  dismissal  hymn  was  sung  and  the  blessing  pro- 
nounced ;  and  the  vast  congregation  dispersed.  The  general 
comment  on  the  sermons  was,  "  Eainitavy's  sermon  was  the 
more  clever ;  but  Andriambelo  we  respect  and  love  most ; 
and  we  listen  to  what  he  says."  I  never  attended  a  more 
interesting  native  service  at  any  mission  I  have  visited. 

During  the  week  we  had  the  opportunity  of  seeing  one 
or  more  of  the  public  entertainments  which  occupied  the 
intervals  of  serious  business  with  the  Queen  and  her  people. 
In  these  the  separate  tribes  took  part,  some  on  one  day, 
some  on  another.  Tribal  dances,  parades,  the  special 
music  of  certain  localities,  were  exhibited  and  played.  To 
me  one  of  the  most  interesting  was  an  exhibition  of  mimic 
war  with  the  old  simple  weapons  of  the  spear  and  hide- 
shield.  The  way  in  which  the  scout  used  his  eyes,  search- 
ing every  thing  for  the  expected  enemy,  and  in  which  he 
managed  to  cover  every  part  of  his  body  by  his  small 
round  shield,  was  very  striking.  In  all  these  exhibitions, 
everything  was  graceful  and  dignified ;  nothing  was  outre. 

In  these  public  gatherings  we  had  a  good  opportunity 


VISIT  TO  THE  BETSILEO  PROVINCE. 


73 


of  seeing  how  Hova  and  Betsileo  ladies  dress  their  hair. 
The  hair  of  all  native  women  is  black ;  in  those  of  pure 
Hova  blood  it  is  smooth,  but  in  those  who  have  more  or 
less  African  taint,  the  hair  is  crimped  and  curled  naturally. 
In  both  cases,  individuals  differ  in  the  fulness  and  length 
of  their  hair.  In  some  it  is  very  rich  and  glossy  and 
black,  an  "  ornament M  indeed.  The  hair  of  a  Hova  lady 
is  divided  into  twenty  or  twenty-four  sections ;  in  each  of 
these  the  hair  is  again  divided  into  a  number  of  tails 
which  are  plaited  together,  and  the  plait  is  tied  up  into  a 
small  bow;  when  the  dressing  is  complete,  there  are  some 
twenty-four  of  these  bows  on  the  head.  The  number 
varies  with  the  taste  of  the  wearer :  most  of  the  ladies  I 
saw  had  from  sixteen  to  twenty-four.  The  Betsileo  hair  is 
done  up  in  several  styles ;  in  plaits :  in  round  plaited 
curls;  and  the  like.  All  these  methods  take  up  much 
time  ;  and  are  renewed  at  intervals  too  long  for  cleanliness 
and  comfort.  Many  Hova  ladies  therefore  are  adopting 
the  simpler  system  prevalent  among  English  women,  and 
dress  their  hair  daily. 

On  Wednesday,  October  1st,  there  was  a  public  Exami- 
nation of  the  Betsileo  schools,  in  the  presence  of  the  Queen 
and  Prime  Minister.  Two  thousand  scholars  assembled  in 
the  inside  of  the  Palace  Court.  After  singing  the  national 
hymn,  they  went  through  a  variety  of  exercises  to  exhibit 
their  attainments  in  reading,  knowledge  of  Scripture, 
mental  arithmetic,  and  the  like.  The  questions  were  put 
chiefly  by  Mr.  G.  Shaw,  the  able  Superintendent  of  the 
Normal  School  and  of  Education  generally  in  the  central 
Betsileo ;  but  the  Prime  Minister  also  joined  in  the  Ex- 
amination, showed  an  intelligent  appreciation  of  the  pro- 


74 


VISIT  TO  THE  BETSILEO  PROVINCE. 


gress  made,  and  gave  new  proof  of  the  deep  interest  which 
the  Queen  and  he  have  long  taken  in  the  education  of  the 
people. 

His  Excellency  himself  delivered  the  prizes.  In  addition 
to  the  rewards  assigned  by  the  mission,  the  Queen  pre- 
sented every  holder  of  a  prize  with  a  new  hymn-book  and 
Testament.  The  Prime  Minister  also  (who  had  loaded  his 
pockets  with  money)  gave  them  dollars,  half-dollars,  and 
broken  money,  according  to  merit :  and  finally  the  Queen 
presented  every  scholar  before  her  with  a  new  dress. 
Nearly  two  thousand  were  given  away,  which  it  took  his 
Excellency  two  hours  to  place  in  the  scholars'  hands. 
But  the  gift  produced  a  deep  impression,  and  showed  the 
people  that  their  Sovereign  was  really  anxious  that  they 
should  learn.  Before  them  all,  the  Queen  heartily  thanked 
Mr.  Shaw  and  the  members  of  the  mission,  for  what  they 
had  done  for  the  instruction  of  her  Betsileo  people. 

The  following  day,  a  public  kabary  was  summoned, 
attended  with  the  usual  ceremonies,  that  the  Queen  might 
specially  address  her  people  on  this  subject  of  education. 
The  soldiers  of  the  line  were  brought  up  in  force  to  keep 
the  ground.  The  three  regiments  of  guards  immediately 
surrounded  the  platform.  One  of  these  regiments  is 
dressed  in  red  knickerbockers  :  another  has  trousers,  striped 
pink  and  white:  the  third,  consisting  of  young  officers, 
has  a  uniform  of  rifle  green  and  is  armed  with  the  Snider 
rifle.  The  Queen  wore  a  dress  of  light  green  watered  silk : 
above  it  was  her  scarlet  velvet  mantle ;  and  she  wore  a 
large  gold  coronet.  Her  chair  was  of  scarlet  and  gold ;  and 
her  footstool  was  one  that  had  been  worked  by  one  of  Mrs. 
Shaw's  girls,  and  had  been  presented  to  her  on  the  previous 


VISIT  TO  THE  BETSILEO  PROVINCE. 


75 


day.  The  assembly  was  very  large ;  there  must  have  been 
fifteen  thousand  people  present. 

As  soon  as  the  Queen  appeared  the  assembly  rose ;  and 
when  she  stood  in  her  place,  a  general  salute  was  pre- 
sented; the  Prime  Minister  also  was  saluted  as  Commander- 
in-Chief  of  the  army ;  and  the  business  of  the  day  was 
proceeded  with.  A  royal  speech  in  Madagascar  takes  a 
peculiar  form,  derived  doubtless  from  long  tradition;  it 
contains  many  antique  phrases  and  modes  of  address ;  and 
its  general  style  of  appeal  to  the  people,  points  to  the  days 
when  the  entire  tribe  was  taken  into  consultation  by  the 
chiefs  and  rulers,  and  a  general  vote  settled  the  question 
in  hand.  After  expressing  in  a  clear  and  distinct  voice, 
her  pleasure  in  meeting  her  people  once  more,  the  Queen 
uttered  several  sentences,  usual  to  these  assemblies,  in 
which  she  dwelt  upon  the  close  and  affectionate  relations 
subsisting  between  them  and  herself.  "  You  are  a  father 
and  mother  to  me :  having  you,  I  have  all.  .  .  .  And  if 
you  confide  in  me,  you  have  a  father  and  a  mother  in  me. 
Is  it  not  so,  0  ye  under  heaven  ? "  To  which  with  a  deep 
voice,  the  people  reply,  "  It  is  so."  Passing  at  length  to 
the  subject  specially  before  her,  the  Queen  said :  "  My 
days  in  the  south  are  now  few ;  for  I  am  about  to  go  up  to 
Imerina ;  therefore  I  will  say  a  word  about  the  schools. 
And  I  say  to  you  all  here  in  Betsileo,  whether  north  of  the 
Matsiatra  or  south  of  the  Matsiatra,  cause  your  children  to 
attend  the  school.  My  desire  is  that,  whether  high  or 
low,  whether  sons  of  the  nobles,  or  sons  of  the  judges,  or 
sons  of  the  officers,  (here  she  used  the  Betsileo  term, 
Andevohova)  or  sons  of  the  centurions,  let  all  your  sons 
and  let  your  daughters  attend  the  schools  and  become 


76 


VISIT  TO  THE  BETSILEO  PROVINCE. 


lovers  of  wisdom."  The  Prime  Minister  then  in  the  Queen's 
name,  addressed  the  assembly  on  the  subject  of  usury,  a 
great  evil  among  poor  natives,  and  only  too  common  in 
stages  of  society  like  that  in  Madagascar ;  and  said  :  "  Thus 
saith  the  Queen;  all  that  usury  exacted  by  the  Hovas 
from  the  Betsileo  is  remitted ;  and  only  the  original  debt 
shall  remain." 

After  a  general  salute,  the  tribes  came  forward  in  suc- 
cession and  replied  to  the  Queen,  thanking  her  for  her 
words  and  her  affection :  and  expressing  their  approval  of 
her  sentiments.  The  tribes  addressed  her  through  their 
chief  men,  who  on  such  occasions  have  a  good  opportunity 
of  displaying  their  oratorical  power.  The  first  who  now 
came  forward  was  the  Andrian  or  Prince  of  the  Betsileo 
people,  the  head  of  the  Isandra  family,  which  ruled  the 
country  before  its  surrender  to  Badama.  His  sister  and 
he  are  Christians  and  most  interesting  people.  The  best 
speech  of  the  day  was  made  by  the  judge  of  Fianarantsoa, 
speaking  for  the  people  of  that  town  and  district  The 
old  gentleman  is  very  stout  and  very  witty.  He  stalked 
up  and  down  in  the  open  space  before  the  Queen,  flourish- 
ing his  long  stick ;  and  with  all  sorts  of  compliments  to 
her  rule,  expressed  his  agreement  with  her  views :  he 
added  also  ;  "  Trust  your  Betsileo  people  :  have  no  fear  of 
your  Betsileo  people :  they  have  begun  to  read  the  New 
Testament :  and  the  people  who  read  the  New  Testament 
are  an  obedient,  orderly  people."  But  the  old  gentleman 
had  worked  himself  into  a  great  heat ;  and  at  each  return 
up  the  line  of  his  companions  he  drank  copiously  from  the 
water-gourd,  which  was  held  and  replenished  by  one  of  his 
faithful  henchmen:  while  at  each  pause  of  his  earnest 


VISIT  TO  THE  BETSILEO  PROVINCE.  77 


address  the  people  responded;  Izdny  hoy  izy.  "Hear, 
hear."  "  He  says  it."  Other  matters  then  occupied 
attention.  A  new  governor  was  appointed  to  Fianaran ; 
the  governor  of  Ambohimandroso  was  confirmed  in  his 
position ;  and  questions  of  jurisdiction  were  arranged. 
After  which  the  Queen  retired  and  the  Assembly  dispersed, 
the  kabary  having  lasted  three  hours. 

I  need  not  dwell  further  on  our  proceedings  in  Fianaran, 
or  our  pleasant  interviews  with  officers  of  the  government, 
and  others  prominent  in  the  Christian  life  of  the  Capital, 
as  well  as  of  the  Betsileo  province ;  or  our  visits  to  the 
Churches;  and  our  hospitable  reception  by  the  governors  old 
and  new.  I  will  only  add  a  word  respecting  an  important 
interview  we  held  with  the  governor  of  the  Tanala  people, 
the  princess  Hiovana  and  her  family.  The  Taxala  dis- 
trict lies  about  twenty  miles  to  the  east  of  the  central  line 
of  the  Betsileo  provinces.  As  its  name  indicates  it  is  the 
"  land  of  forests."  It  is  in  fact  a  continuation  of  the  first 
terrace  under  the  hills,  viz.  of  the  plain  of  Ankay,  which 
we  had  crossed  at  Moramanga  and  Ifody.  The  plain  is 
ploughed  deep  in  all  directions  and  contains  a  multitude 
of  low  hills.  On  one  of  these  is  built  the  town  of 
Ambohimaxga,  the  capital  of  the  district.  It  contains 
two  hundred  houses  and  a  population  of  1200  persons. 
Some  of  the  houses  are  large  and  convenient :  many  are 
frail  and  poor.  There  are  numerous  villages  scattered  up 
and  down  the  district,  which  is  well  watered;  and  the 
Tanala  people  may  probably  amount  to  twenty  thousand 
in  number.  The  river  Mangoro  flows  along  the  Ankay 
plain  from  the  north  almost  into  the  Tanala  country ;  and 
then  turns  eastward,  breaks  through  the  hills  in  rough 


78 


VISIT  TO  THE  BETSILEO  PROVINCE. 


rapids  and  falls  into  the  sea.  The  west  bonndary  of  the 
Tanala  is  a  noble  wall  of  rock  running  up  and  down  the 
country  from  north  to  south :  and  its  buttresses  are  formed 
here  and  there  of  hills  that  are  truly  massive  and  grand. 
The  forest  which  covers  them  is  the  same  that  we  crossed 
at  Angavo;  the  inner  line,  which  separates  the  Central 
provinces  in  their  entire  length  from  the  districts  nearer 
the  coast.  In  this  its  lower  portion  it  is  very  wide,  and 
still  contains  magnificent  trees. 

The  Tanala  people  are  reckoned  with  the  Betsileo :  but 
I  doubt  whether  they  are  of  Betsileo  blood.  They  seem 
rather  to  be  a  portion  of  the  Bezanozano,  who  people 
Ankay ;  and  these  again  are  part  of  the  Betsimisaraka 
tribes.  Their  country  is  extremely  unhealthy.  Placed 
between  the  two  lines  of  forest,  and  their  decaying  vegeta- 
tion, it  suffers  greatly,  for  eight  months  of  the  year,  from 
fever.  And  none  can  reside  there  permanently,  who  have 
not  become  vita-tdzo,  "  fever-proof."  This  constitutes  the 
religious  difficulty.  Gladly  would  the  Mission  place  one 
of  its  English  families  there  to  take  charge  of  the  Tanala 
people,  were  it  not  for  the  unusual  risks  which  they  would 
be  called  to  run.  We  talked  the  matter  over  with  Hioyana 
';  and  her  brother  in  Fianaran.  She  impressed  us  as  being 
I  a  truly  noble  lady.  She  is  an  eloquent  speaker  in  public ; 
and  her  addresses  at  the  kabarys  are  listened  to  with  de- 
light by  the  assembled  multitudes.  But  she  can  speak 
with  peculiar  beauty  of  voice  and  tone  in  private :  and  the 
shrewd  and  touching  pleas  with  which  she  and  her  brother 
urged  that  we  should  appoint  an  English  missionary  to 
their  people,  were  presented  with  earnestness  and  power- 
They  have  always  given,  a  warm  welcome  to  those  mission- 


VISIT  TO  THE  BET  SI  LEO  PROVINCE.  79 


aries  who  have  paid  them  a  visit :  and  any  one  who  would 
spend  some  months  of  the  year  with  them  would  do  the 
Tanala  people  great  service.  They  ought  at  least  to  com- 
mand the  services  of  one  of  the  ablest  native  ministers, 
whom  the  Mission  can  supply. 

For  several  years  I  had  taken  a  deep  interest  in  the 
southern  part  of  the  Betsileo  province  and  in  the  town  of 
Ambohimandroso ;  to  whose  people  the  Society  had  long 
desired  to  send  a  missionary :  we  now  prepared  to  visit  it. 
On  Friday,  October  3d,  the  whole  party  from  the  Capital, 
accompanied  by  Mr.  Brockway,  left  Fianaran.  The  greater 
part  of  our  road  lay  along  a  fine  valley,  narrow  and  bor- 
dered by  peculiarly  noble  hills.  The  parallel  ridges  of  the 
Betsileo  Country  run  generally  from  north-north-west  to 
south-south-east.  This  valley  ran  for  twenty  miles  a  little 
west  of  south.  The  ridges  therefore  all  crossed  it ;  but 
some  mighty  force  had  broken  them  through  at  this  point, 
had  swept  away  their  rocky  remains :  and  left  great  preci- 
pices, buttresses  and  promontories  overhanging  the  narrow 
cleft  along  which  we  journeyed.  Each  headland  has  its 
distinctive  name.  Nothing  but  photography  can  duly 
show  the  grandeur  of  these  rocks ;  and  only  a  map  on  a 
large  scale  can  rightly  delineate  the  country.  The  highest 
mountain  in  the  Betsileo,  a  grand  peak,  named  Ambohitra- 
manjaka,  "  king's  town/'  we  left  up  a  narrow  valley  on  the 
west  of  our  road.  All  the  way  we  had  on  one  side  or  the 
other,  the  drain  of  the  valley,  the  river  Banofotsy.  We 
camped  in  the  valley  at  night,  and  had  the  hills  on  the 
east  of  us  all  on  fire. 

Xext  day  we  came  early  to  the  end  of  the  valley,  which 
is  a  cul  de  sac  :  and  saw  in  it  and  in  the  hills  to  the  east 


so 


VISIT  TO  THE  BETSILEO  PROVINCE. 


the  sources  of  the  Banofotsy.  To  the  west  of  the  terminat- 
ing hill  is  a  most  noble  boulder  standing  alone  on  the 
mountain  side,  called  Vato-avo,  "  high  rock."  Mr.  Cameron 
and  I  climbed  it  and  found  that  we  had  unwittingly 
secured  a  most  important  station  for  the  survey  of  the 
country.  Both  Fianaran  and  Ambohimandroso  were 
visible :  it  is  the  only  point  in  the  line  of  route  from 
which  both  can  be  seen  at  once.  We  saw  at  our  feet  on 
the  south  the  great  rice  basin  of  Ambohimandroso,  studded 
with  hamlets  perched  on  the  red  clay  hills.  East  and 
west  were  enormous  gneiss  mountains :  while  far  to  the 
south  was  the  lofty  granite  ridge  of  Kipaseha,  its  sharp 
saw-like  crest  standing  clear  against  the  sky.  Near  to  us 
was  the  Betsileo  village  of  Ivatoavo,  through  which  we 
were  to  pass,  and  in  which  the  houses  are  built  in  and 
amongst  a  mass  of  gigantic  boulders,  with  a  thick  cactus 
hedge  as  their  protection.  As  we  passed,  the  women  all 
came  out  to  look  at  us.  We  also  looked  at  them  ;  for  their 
hair  was  fastened  up  into  a  number  of  flat  buttons,  which 
looked  like  a  supply  of  black  penny-pieces  hanging  about 
their  ears.    We  reached  our  destination  at  four  o'clock. 

Ambohimandroso  is  an  important  town.  It  is  situated 
on  a  round  clay  hill :  the  Hova  fort  and  governor's  house 
beins  as  usual  on  the  crest,  3260  feet  above  the  sea.  The 
houses  are  three  hundred  in  number ;  and  the  total  popula- 
tion must  be  fifteen  hundred.  Most  of  the  houses,  accord- 
ing to  the  usual  Betsileo  fashion,  are  built  of  wood.  The 
posts  are  strong  and  square,  the  walls  are  of  thick  boards 
fixed  upright :  and  the  roof,  as  in  Imerina,  has  a  high 
pitch.  It  is  formed  of  strong  timbers  and  is  thatched  with 
leaves  or  reeds.    The  windows  of  Betsileo  houses  are 


VISIT  TO  THE  BETSILEO  PROVINCE.  81 


small:  the  door  also  is  small  and  the  door-sill  is  high 
above  the  ground  :  a  post  therefore  is  provided  for  the 
paterfamilias  and  his  belongings,  on  which  each  carefully 
stands  before  he  doubles  himself  up  and  makes  his  way 
through  the  opening.  It  is  worth  noting  that  in  Malagasy 
the  same  word  is  used  for  door  and  window ;  both  beingr 
constructed  in  the  same  fashion  and  in  old  houses  differing 
little  from  one  another.  The  houses  of  the  garrison,  of  the 
governor  and  his  officers,  follow  the  fashion  of  Imerina ; 
they  have  large  doors ;  are  strongly  made  ;  and  their  sides 
are  neatly  panneled.  But  as  elsewhere  they  lack  finish ; 
and  but  little  provision  is  made  for  privacy.  Not  a  single 
house  we  saw  had  a  glass  window  in  it,  to  provide  light, 
when  rain  and  wind  compel  the  owner  to  close  his  wooden 
shutters.  The  newest  houses  outside  the  fort  are  being 
made  of  clay.  The  town  has  on  the  south  other  lofty  hills  : 
but  as  in  Ankay  and  Menabe,  the  sandy  parts  of  these  hills 
have  worked  into  deep  hollows  which  at  a  distance  look 
like  scars  and  sores  upon  the  hill-side. 

On  the  north,  east  and  west  the  basin  of  Ambohiman- 
droso  is  more  level ;  the  rice  fields  are  numerous,  and  the 
little  hamlets  with  their  rings  of  verdure  dot  the  country 
everywhere.  The  basin  is  watered  by  a  single  stream, 
flowing  from  the  eastern  hills.  Its  supply  is  not  over- 
abundant. Hence  the  curious  name  given  to  the  place, 
Tsi-enim-pareliy ,  "not  enough  for  the  rice  cultivation." 
A  larger  supply  of  water  would  doubtless  produce  far 
greater  crops  in  both  portions  of  the  district.  Beyond  a 
low  ridge  to  the  east  is  a  second  open  valley  with  numer- 
ous arms,  rich  also  in  villages  and  rice  grounds :  several  of 
these  villages  have  chapels :  and  it  is  the  comparative 

F 


82  VISIT  TO  THE  BETSILEO  PROVINCE. 

abundance  of  population,  which  renders  this  town  so 
eligible  as  the  residence  of  an  English  Missionary.  The 
Chapel  of  Ambohimandroso  occupies  an  excellent  site  and 
is  of  large  size,  sixty  feet  by  thirty.  But  it  needs  a  great 
deal  of  improvement  to  make  it,  what  it  ought  to  be,  the 
model  chapel  of  the  district ;  and  it  will  be  well  worth  the 
while  of  the  Mission  to  assist  the  congregation  in  giving 
to  it  that  position. 

We  spent  a  pleasant  Sabbath  with  the  people:  and  though 
the  governor  of  the  town,  the  native  pastor  and  his  excel- 
lent wife,  and  many  other  principal  members  of  the  church 
were  absent  with  the  Queen,  we  had  several  serious  con- 
sultations with  those  still  here,  on  the  provision  they  would 
make  for  the  comfort  of  the  missionary,  who  was  now  on 
his  way  from  England.  How  far  would  they  co-operate 
with  him  in  securing  for  their  children  a  more  thorough 
Christian  education  than  they  have  ever  enjoyed  ?  On  the 
whole  they  responded  to  our  views ;  and  we  believe  that  the 
Station  can  be  made  as  great  a  position  of  usefulness  as 
any  in  the  Betsileo  Country. 

We  spent  three  days  in  Ambohimandroso,  gathering  in- 
formation on  many  points  of  value.  We  were  encamped 
in  the  Chapel,  and  two  young  officers  of  the  garrison 
showed  us  great  attention  in  securing  our  comfort  and 
making  our  habitation  less  airy.  The  butchers  of  the  town 
were  not  so  complaisant.  And  when  our  cook  enquired 
after  some  beef  for  us,  as  a  change  from  the  constant 
supply  of  poultry,  they  answered  that  there  was  a  good 
quantity  of  "  old  beef  "  still  unsold ;  and  they  declined  to 
kill  until  that  had  been  expended.  It  mattered  little. 
Mr.  Cousins  was  an  admirable  caterer ;  and  though  our 


VISIT  TO  THE  BETSILEO  PROVINCE. 


83 


Irish  butter  somewhat  failed  us,  yet  other  English  stores, 
with  good  turkeys,  chickens,  bread  made  by  English  ladies, 
sweet  potatoes,  plantain  fritters  and  other  trifles,  provided 
sufficient  sustenance  even  for  hungry  Englishmen  in  the 
keen,  hard  air.  During  Monday  we  arranged  for  the  pre- 
paration of  a  temporary  house  for  a  missionary  :  and  then 
made  a  careful  survey  of  the  town  and  neighbourhood ;  we 
connected  our  observations  completely  with  those  made  by 
Mr.  Cameron  at  Fianarantsoa,  and  took  sketches  of  the 
ground.  Mr.  Tillans  went  off  early  with  a  select  band  of 
bearers  to  climb  the  peak  of  Iody,  ten  miles  to  the  south- 
west, and  take  observations  of  the  granite  ridge,  which 
bounded  the  horizon  beyond. 

During  the  day  Mr.  Cousins  made  special  enquiry  con- 
cerning the  Ibara  tribes,  among  whom  the  Mission  will  be 
glad  in  due  time  to  preach  the  gospel ;  since  almost  none 
of  them  have  heard  it.  He  found  with  much  satisfaction 
that  they  are  akin  to  the  Betsileo  and  in  many  respects 
resemble  them.  Their  language  is  substantially  the  same  : 
here  and  there  he  caught  a  new  word,  or  an  older  form  of 
idiom.  But  he  judged  that  as  the  language  of  the  Tanala 
and  the  Betsileo  differs  but  moderately  from  the  Hova 
dialect,  so  the  Ibara  differs  but  little  from  the  Betsileo. 
They  build  too  the  same  kind  of  houses :  on  the  hill  tops 
they  erect  their  forts,  while  in  the  open  valleys  they  form 
valas  or  hamlets  with  the  green  fence,  and  plant  gardens 
around  them.  They  also  have  large  herds  of  cattle.  But 
as  the  Betsileo  differ  from  the  Hovas  in  the  mode  of  dress-  • 
ing  the  hair  (though  closely  akin  to  them),  so  do  the  Ibara 
differ  from  the  Betsileo.  While  the  latter  tie  up  the  hair 
in  penny-pieces,  the  Ibara  form  a  topknot  on  the  crown  of 


84  VISIT  TO  THE  BETSILEO  PROVINCE. 

the  Head,  profusely  plaistered  with  grease.  Two  Ibara  men 
turned  tip  in  the  town  during  the  day  and  came  to  visit  us. 
We  found  that  the  tribe  lives  west  and  south-west  of  this 
place.  For  a  day  and  half  (thirty  miles)  there  are  still 
Betsileo  villages,  even  below  the  foot  of  the  hills  and 
forest.  Then  for  four  days  Ibara  occupy  the  country; 
and  beyond  them  are  Sakalavas.  M.  Grandidier  who  ap- 
proached these  tribes  from  the  west  coast  indicates  in  his 
maps  the  same  thing. 

The  chief  town  of  the  Ibara  in  this  direction  is  Benarivo : 
and  they  hold  considerable  intercourse  with  the  Hovas  and 
Betsileo.  They  look  on  the  present  governor  of  Ambohim- 
androso  as  a  friend ;  and  through  him  they  only  recently 
sent  a  friendly  message  to  the  Queen  at  Fianaran,  with  a 
small  brass  gun.  There  is  hope  that  the  gospel  will  soon 
find  an  entrance  among  them.  It  happens,  in  God's  good 
providence,  that  the  wife  of  the  pastor  at  Ambohimandroso 
is  herself  an  Ibara,  the  daughter  of  the  chief  ruling  in 
Benarivo.  When  young  she  was  taken  captive  in  one  of 
the  Hova  wars  and  went  to  the  Capital  a  slave.  There  she 
married.  Her  husband  and  she  bought  their  freedom  and 
after  a  time  leaving  the  Capital,  they  came  south  and 
settled  in  the  Betsileo.  Making  enquiries,  they  found  that 
her  father  and  many  relatives  were  still  living  in  Benarivo. 
She  was  warmly  welcomed  home  again,  with  her  husband: 
and  from  Ambohimandroso,  where  he  holds  his  appoint- 
ment, they  occasionally  visit  her  friends.  Both  husband 
and  wife  are  good  Christian  people  :  and  it  is  hoped  that 
through  them,  an  entrance  for  light  and  truth  and  grace 
may  be  secured  among  the  Ibara  tribes.  We  can  hope 
this  the  more,  that  though  the  rule  of  the  Hovas  in  the 


VISIT  TO  THE  BETSILEO  PROVINCE. 


85 


past  has  often  been  hard,  selfish  and  grasping,  a  great  im- 
provement has  taken  place  among  them.  They  axe  far 
more  merciful,  gentle  and  just  toward  other  tribes  in 
modern  days,  than  they  were :  and  they  are  far  more 
willing  to  help  in  raising  them.  Were  all  the  local  officers 
(notwithstanding  the  temptations  of  their  poverty),  to  be 
as  considerate  and  just  as  the  Queen,  the  Prime  Minister 
and  a  large  number  of  the  officers  immediately  around 
them,  the  whole  system  of  Malagasy  government  would  be 
raised,  and  a  moral  conquest  of  the  whole  island  would  be 
a  mere  question  of  time. 

A  short  day's  journey  to  the '  south  of  Ambohimandroso 
brought  us  by  several  important  villages,  to  Imahazony, 
one  of  our  principal  out-stations.  In  a  pool  below  the  hill 
on  which  it  stands,  I  was  delighted  to  find  a  large  cluster 
of  blue  water-lilies.  Imahazony  is  a  large  town,  contain- 
ing two  hundred  houses.  It  is  a  busy  place,  and  has  many 
rice  fields  and  several  villages  in  the  valleys  around  it. 
There  is  a  great  deal  of  sedimentary  clay  in  this  south  part 
of  the  Betsileo,  and  towards  the  east  the  high  hills  give 
rise  to  many  small  streams  of  water.  We  had  much 
pleasant  talk  with  the  elders  of  the  congregation  about 
their  religious  wants.  It  was  plain  that  they  were  not  far 
advanced :  and  that  the  whole  district  stands  greatly  in 
need  of  good  schools  and  systematic  instruction. 

We  had  now.  reached  the  south  border  of  the  Betsileo 
country.  Indeed  we  might  say  that  we  were  close  to  three 
boundaries  which  enclose  its  southern  end.  And  when  in 
the  afternoon,  my  colleague  and  I  climbed  the  ridge  of 
Kinanga,  which  overhangs  the  town,  we  had  these  chains 
of  hills  prominent  and  near.    On  the  west  and  south-west 


86 


VISIT  TO  THE  BETSILEO  PROVINCE. 


was  the  granite  riclge  of  Kipaseha,  towering  over  the 
country.  Within  it  were  two  lower  groups  of  gneiss  hills, 
with  the  forest  close  by,  bounding  the  Arnbohimandroso 
valley.  To  the  east  was  the  lofty  mountain  of  Ambond- 
rombe,  covered  with  dense  wood.  Directly  south  was  a 
line  of  hills  crossing  the  country  from  the  one  set  of  ridges 
to  the  other  and  shutting  us  completely  in.  Beyond  the 
town  to  the  south  we  noted  several  villages,  and  ten  miles 
away,  upon  a  spur  of  these  hills,  with  the  green  forest  just 
beyond,  was  the  village  of  Angalampona,  the  last  village 
peopled  by  the  Betsileo  in  that  direction.  This  was  the 
boundary  of  the  Hova  dominion  ;  and  of  the  sphere  which 
the  Mission  has  yet  occupied.  Imahazony  is  on  the  line 
of  Lat.  22°  S. 

It  must  not  be  supposed  that  on  the  other  side  of  the 
southern  forest  there  is  no  population.  Population  does 
not  cease,  but  it  changes  its  character.  What  change  there 
may  be  in  the  ground  no  one  could  clearly  describe.  One 
thing  however  we  had  ourselves  observed  with  deep  in- 
terest. The  fall  in  the  ground  of  fourteen  hundred  feet, 
immediately  south  of  Ivato-avo,  as  well  as  the  profusion  of 
red  clay  outside  the  gneiss  hills,  indicated  that  in  the  basin 
of  Arnbohimandroso  we  had  descended  on  to  the  first 
terrace  toward  the  south.  We  were  no  longer  on  the  high 
level  of  the  Imerina  and  Betsileo  plateau.  It  is  exceed- 
ingly probable  that  some  few  miles  beyond  another  and 
lower  terrace  is  reached,  as  in  the  north  of  the  island. 
From  the  top  of  Iody  Mr.  Pillans  observed  that  the 
country  seemed  to  be  falling  and  to  be  more  open :  and 
the  natives  were  unanimous  in  declaring  that  in  the  south 
the  country  was  more  level  and  more  easy  to  travel  than 


VISIT  TO  THE  BETSILEO  PROVINCE. 


87 


the  Betsileo.  As  on  the  eastern  and  western  slopes,  so  to 
wards  the  south  also,  the  ground  doubtless  falls  in  broad, 
well- watered  terraces,  till  it  reaches  the  great  level  plains 
observed  near  the  extreme  end  of  the  island.  It  is  hoped 
that  in  due  time  some  members  of  the  Mission  may  solve 
these  questions  by  a  personal  examination  of  the  district. 

Whatever  it  may  be  with  the  geography  of  the  country, 
one  thing  we  know,  that,  both  in  and  beyond  the  south 
forest,  the  country  is  occupied  by  Ibara  tribes,  and  that 
their  villages  are  numerous.  Their  capital  is  said  to  be 
Ivohibe^  a  day  and  a  half  to  the  southward  and  built  on  a 
big  MIL  The  name  of  the  chief  is  Kebahy.  His  people 
and  he  did  not  burn  their  idols  when  the  Hovas  did.  They 
still  practice  divination  by  the  sikidy,  and  observe  lucky 
and  unlucky  days ;  they  sacrifice  on  old  stones  on  joyful 
occasions,  and  give  thanks  to  their  ancestors  who  to  them 
have  become  gods.  Their  speech  is  louder,  broader  and 
more  uncouth  than  that  of  the  Betsileo.  Their  chief 
believes  himself  to  be  a  great  man.  No  Hova  is  ever 
allowed  to  see  him.  AVhen  he  goes  abroad  his  own  people 
also  are  debarred  that  pleasure.  His  attendants  cry  out : 
"The  Biby  is  coming,"  and  every  one  disappears.  His 
kingdom  goes  a  long  way  to  the  south :  the  people  have  a 
trading  place  below  the  hills,  called  Soava  :  and  they  visit 
a  port  on  the  west  coast,  called  Isali.  East  of  these  Ibara 
are  the  Tanala  again. 

Much  remains  to  be  learned  concerning  these  districts. 
To  the  south  and  south-east  there  are  two  small  pro- 
vinces, Anosy  and  Vangaindrano,  never  yet  visited  by  the 
Mission  ;  and  yet  in  one,  or  both,  of  them  there  is  Chris- 
tian work  going  on  through  the  medium  of  the  Hova 


88 


VISIT  TO  THE  BETSILEO  PROVINCE. 


officers  and  garrisons.  The  beautiful  and  fertile  valley  of 
Ambolo  coming  down  to  the  sea  coast  near  Fort  Dauphin, 
is  reckoned  to  the  Betsimisaraka  people.  But  the  Hova 
armies  have  always  reached  it  through  the  Betsileo  pro- 
vinces :  and  the  river  Mangary  is  said  to  be  the  line  of 
route.  Badama's  troops  took  full  possession  of  the  place 
fifty  years  ago,  and  pulled  down  the  French  flag  as 
unauthorised.  Hova  garrisons  have  occupied  both  districts 
since  that  time,  and  they  are  said  to  contain  a  large 
population.  It  was  from  one  of  these  provinces  that 
three  years  ago  some  soldiers  came  to  the  Capital,  after  a 
long  march  of  two  months,  seeking  for  Christian  books 
and  Bibles.  Hova  Christians  had  been  teaching  the 
'people :  chapels  had  been  built :  the  Sabbath  was  observed : 
congregations  were  gathered.  But  they  had  only  four 
Bibles.  And  as  they  had  heard  a  rumour  that  plentiful 
supplies  of  Bibles  and  Hymn  books  could  be  obtained  in 
Antananarivo,  they  resolved  to  go  and  see  if  it  was  true. 
The  strangers  came.  They  happily  fell  into  the  hands  of 
Mr.  Parrett ;  who  showed  them  the  wonders  of  the  Mis- 
sion Press ;  supplied  all  their  wants  and  more ;  and  sent 
them  back  again  with  rejoicing  hearts.  Ought  we  not  to 
try  and  learn  more  about  people  like  these  ? 

Prom  every  part  of  Imahazony,  one  can  see  on  the  east 
the  massive  mountain  of  Ambondrombe.  It  is  distant 
twelve  or  fourteen  miles,  and  is  some  ten  miles  in  length. 
It  stands  on  the  edge  of  the  Betsileo  plateau :  and  from 
the  terrace  beneath  it  to  the  east  it  must  present  one  of 
the  grandest  objects  in  Madagascar.  It  is  covered  with 
dense  forest.  While  at  Imahazony  we  heard  much  about 
it.    It  is  considered  to  be  the  entrance  to  the  Malagasy 


VISIT  TO  THE  BETSILEO  PROVINCE. 


80 


Hades.  Its  Betsileo  name  is  I-rantsy,  "  the  evil  place." 
It  is  peopled  by  Tanin-dulo,  "  sons  of  ghosts."  "  Have 
you  been  there  ?"  (we  asked  of  our  informant).  "  ~No  :  I 
dare  not  go."  "  There  is  a  large  village  there,"  he  added. 
"Are  there  any  houses  in  the  village?"  "No:  none." 
All  exhibited  a  great  fear  of  the  place.  "  Well :  we 
Englishmen  would  not  be  afraid  to  go  and  see  it."  "Then 
you  must  be  very  good  men."  The  people  stoutly  assured 
us,  that  on  the  day  the  Queen  arrived  at  Fianaran,  the 
ghosts  fired  three  guns !  "  We  heard  them."  When 
Eadama  came  into  this  province  he  sent  three  officers  to 
examine  Ambondrombe.  Of  these  one  was  Eahanlraka, 
so  well  known  in  later  years  as  a  Government  Secretary. 
He  reported  that  there  is  in  the  hill  a  great  cave  and  that 
in  certain  states  of  the  wind,  the  sound  of  guns  seems  to 
issue  from  the  cave.  On  this  occasion  the  people  probably 
heard  the  guns  at  Fianaran  direct. 

To  the  east  of  Ambondrombe  is  the  lofty  rock  of  Ikongo, 
on  which  is  built  a  native  fortress,  a  maiden  stronghold 
hitherto  attempted  by  enemies  in  vain.  Eadama  and  his 
army  tried  it  in  his  Betsileo  campaign.  The  rock  is  of 
peculiar  shape,  is  unusually  precipitous  and  is  accessible 
only  by  ropes  from  above.  Ikongo  is  the  head  of  a  little 
kingdom,  containing  some  ten  to  twenty  thousand  people. 
Its  chief  is  very  proud  of  his  independence.  But  it 
separates  him  and  his  people  from  their  Betsileo  neigh- 
bours :  and  leaves  them  all  in  ignorance  and  barbarism. 
Efforts  will  be  made  by  the  Mission  to  get  access  to 
the  people  and  supply  them  with  the  knowledge  of  the 
Gospel  and  the  means  of  education.  The  Queen  when 
in  Fianaran  sent  presents  and  friendly  messages  to  the 


90 


VISIT  TO  THE  BETSILEO  PROVINCE. 


Chief  of  Ikongo ;  and  received  a  friendly  embassy  in 
return. 

From  Imahazony  we  returned  to  Fianarantsoa  by  the 
eastern  route,  under  the  long  buttresses  of  Ambondrombe 
and  up  the  great  rice  valley  lying  to  the  east  of  Ambohi- 
mandroso.  We  rested  at  Itsimaitsohasoa,  the  former 
capital  of  this  district ;  and  were  pleased  to  find  a  most 
efficient  school  and  a  goodly  band  of  scholars.  This  dis- 
trict, the  fifth  and  most  southern  of  the  Betsileo  provinces, 
is  called  Iarindrano,  "  abounding  in  water,"  and  it  tho- 
roughly justifies  its  name.  From  Fianaran  southward  the 
great  gneiss  hills  are  full  of  springs,  and  the  little  streams 
are  abundant  on  every  side.  But  off  the  main  road  of  the 
province  the  villages  are  few.  We  traversed  with  ease  the 
long  valley  south  of  Midongy ;  passed  beneath  the  lofty 
peaks  of  Sanga-sanga  and  Vohimanitra ;  crossed  the 
narrow  col  of  Maneva ;  and  skirting  the  great  boulders  of 
leranany,  late  in  the  day,  reached  Fianarantsoa  once  more 
in  safety. 

Our  rough  journeyings  were  beginning  to  tell  upon  our 
health :  and  in  Fianaran  I  was  laid  up  for  several  days 
with  a  severe  cold.  At  this  time  my  colleague  and  Mr. 
Cousins  paid  a  visit  to  the  important  town  of  Ifanjakana, 
which  it  was  proposed  to  make  the  centre  of  a  Mission 
district  and  the  residence  of  an  English  Missionary. 
Ifanjakana  is  now  the  chief  town  in  the  Sandra  province  : 
(4630  feet  above  the  sea) ;  and  is  the  principal  residence 
of  the  Sandra  family,  which,  before  the  days  of  Eadama, 
ruled  the  Betsileo  people,  south  of  the  Matsiatra.  This 
province  lies  almost  entirely  west  of  the  road  which  we 
had  travelled  from  the  capital :  it  extends  westward  to  the 


VISIT  TO  THE  BETSILEO  PROVINCE. 


91 


edge  of  the  hills  and  the  line  of  forest:  and  it  contains 
several  important  towns. 

My  colleagues  reached  Ifanjakana  in  eight  hours.  They 
travelled  to  the  north  and  west  along  the  Eanofotsy  ;  then 
crossed  various  ridges  and  narrow  valleys  to  the  north- 
west of  the  river  :  passed  the  village  of  Itomboana  ;  with 
many  hamlets  in  fertile  valleys  :  and  reached  the  high 
ground,  scored  with  long  clefts  and  valleys  on  which 
Ifanjakana  stands.  Beyond  it  to  the  west  the  plateau  is 
high  and  so  continues  for  ten  miles,  when  it  falls  away 
towards  the  lower  plains.  They  found  the  town  to  contain 
nearly  three  hundred  houses,  with  fifteen  hundred  people. 
On  a  high  ridge  facing  it  to  the  eastward  is  the  township  of 
Ivohitromby,  containing  as  many  more,  and  giving  the  same 
number  of  people  to  Government  service.  The  valley  east 
of  the  town  swells  into  uplands  which  go  off  in  the  direc- 
tion of  Ambohinamboarina.  All  these  valleys  contain  a 
scattered  population,  which  has  Ifanjakana  on  its  western 
edge.  But  a  little  to  the  south-east  is  a  fine  cluster 
of  villages.  Near  the  ruined  town  of  Mahazarivo  are 
the  tombs  of  the  Sandra  Kings,  surrounded  by  gigantic 
trees,  planted  at  the  time  of  their  burial.  Of  the 
town  of  Xasandratony  the  sister  of  the  present  prince, 
granddaughter  of  the  last  King,  is  the  head. 

Farther  west  is  an  important  place,  Ambohivolamena, 
"  gold-town."  And  still  beyond,  to  the  south-west,  there 
is  a  town  more  important  still,  Ikalamavony.  It  stands 
below  the  edge  of  the  plateau,  in  the  lower  plain,  and  it 
has  a  high  and  massive  hill  behind  it.  Sheltered  from 
the  easterly  winds  its  climate  is  warm,  and  its  people 
suffer  much  from  fever.    It  has  often  suffered  in  former 


02 


VISIT  TO  THE  BETSILEO  PROVINCE. 


days  from  the  raids  of  the  Ibara  tribes,  and  has  both  had 
its  houses  burned  and  its  people  destroyed.  It  has  long 
flourished  in  recent  days  under  an  excellent  Hova  Gover- 
nor ;  and  it  is  owing  to  his  zeal  and  skill  and  taste  that  the 
Church  at  Ikalamavony  is  the  handsomest  place  of  worship 
in  the  whole  Betsileo.  The  congregations  of  this  cluster 
oftownsinthe  Isandra  district  have  had  a  most  interesting 
religious  history :  they  have  been  willing  scholars,  under 
more  than  one  zealous  and  devoted  native  teacher;  and 
the  English  Missionary  who  will  take  them  under  his 
charge,  will  have  before  him  a  sphere  of  solid  usefulness. 

I  need  scarcely  say  that  throughout  our  visit,  under  the 
guidance  and  with  the  companionship  of  Mr.  Cameron,  we 
followed  up  with  great  care  the  survey  of  the  country. 
We  based  it  on  the  survey  of  Imerina,  commenced  by  Mr. 
Cameron  four  years  ago.  It  is  laid  down  by  an  unbroken 
succession  of  cross  bearings  of  a  long  line  of  conspicuous 
points,  both  up  and  down  the  province  :  and  by  a  series  of 
latitudes,  determined  by  meridian  transit  of  the  sun  and  of 
various  principal  stars.  Throughout  our  journey  also  both 
ways,  I  daily  placed  in  my  Journal  a  sketch  of  the  ground 
traversed ;  and  the  number  of  these  local  sketches  is 
lame.  The  result  of  all  these  observations  is  embodied  in 
the  Map  of  the  district ;  and  only  a  portion  of  these 
results  has  been  referred  to  now. 

As  with  the  map  of  Imerina  the  key  of  the  map  is  the 
position  of  the  Capital:  so  in  the  Betsileo,  the  key  of  the 
whole  is  the  town  of  Fianarantsoa.  By  several  observa- 
tions, Mr.  Cameron  fixed  the  latitude  of  the  town  at  21° 
27'  10"  S.  Judging  from  his  map,  M.  Grandidier,  who 
crossed  the  Betsileo  at  this  point,  makes  the  latitude  the 


VISIT  TO  THE  BETSILEO  PROVINCE. 


03 


same.  Mr.  Cameron  was  foiled  in  his  attempt  to  deter- 
mine the  longitude  by  independent  observations  of  Jupi- 
ter's satellites  and  moon  culminating  stars :  the  rolling 
mists  obscuring  both  moon  and  planet  at  the  moment 
when  they  were  needed  to  be  clear.  Bat  both  Mr. 
Cameron  and  M.  Grandidier  agree  in  placing  Fianaran  on  a 
meridian  30'  to  the  west  of  the  meridian  of  Antananarivo. 
Having  both  taken  and  worked  out  the  series  of  observa- 
tions  myself,  I  concur  with  Mr.  Cameron  in  his  conclusions: 
and  would  fix  the  longitude  of  Fianaran  at  47°  11/  30"  E. 
of  Greenwich,  at  a  distance  of  seventy-five  miles  from  the 
Indian  Ocean. 

The  following  is  a  brief  list  of  the  principal  heights  in 
this  part  of  the  island : — 


Feet. 

Feet. 

Ambositra  . 

4320 

Ambohimandroso . 

3260 

Angavo-ridge 

5680 

Imahazony  hill 

3660 

Nandihizana 

4780 

Iody,  peak  . 

6450 

Long  ridge,  south 

4900 

Tsimaitsohasoa 

4650 

Ambohinamboarina 

3600 

Ifanjakana  . 

4630 

Ikala  valley  . 

3920 

Moromania  . 

4300 

River  Matsiatra  . 

3700 

Ambodifiakarana  . 

4620 

Fianarantsoa 

4200 

Great  moor  . 

6200 

Ivatoavo 

4660 

The  Betsileo  Province  is  a  continuation  southward  of 
the  province  of  Imerina  :  and  embraces  the  entire  width  of 
the  plateau  lying  along  the  backbone  of  the  island.  On 
its  northern  boundary,  the  river  Mania,  the  province 
has  a  breadth  of  fifty  miles :  it  narrows  as  it  goes  south- 
ward ;  at  Imahazony,  on  the  line  of  lat.  22"  S.,  it  has  a 
breadth  of  only  thirty  miles :  and  from  the  peak  of  Kin- 
anga,  we  were  in  sight  of  the  three  ridges  which  close  the 
province  in.  The  cultivable  area  within  the  Province  is 
but  a  limited  portion  of  the  whole :  and  that  which  is 


94 


VISIT  TO  THE  BETSILEO  PROVINCE. 


under  cultivation,  owing  to  the  scantiness  of  the  popula- 
tion, is  smaller  still.  The  province  is  full  of  mountains. 
It  seems  to  be  free  of  volcanic  influences  :  but  it  is  crossed 
by  long  ridges  of  gneiss  and  clay,  strewn  with  boulders  of 
enormous  size.  South  of  Fianarantsoa  the  rocky  ridges  lie 
close  together  and  the  massing  of  the  mountains  is  very 
grand.  Several  of  its  ridges  and  detached  mountains,  like 
Ilalanza  and  Ipano,  Iody  and  Indraimbaki,  Kipas^ha  and 
Ambondrombe,  I  have  already  named.  The  cultivated 
spots  of  any  great  size  are  the  basin  and  valleys  of  Ambo- 
sitra;  the  amphitheatre  of  ^Nandihizana ;  the  valleys  of 
Ambohinamboarina  and  Ifanjakana;  the  basins  of  Ikala 
and  ISTatao  ;  the  valley  of  the  Matsiatra  and  its  offshoots ; 
the  valleys  of  Fianaran ;  and  the  broad  basin  of  Ambohi- 
mandroso.  I  have  said  that  the  province  contains  five 
districts.  Two  of  these,  Ambositra  and  JSandihizana,  lie 
north  of  the  chief  river  the  Matsiatra ;  and  three  others,  form- 
ing the  Betsileo  proper,  lie  south  of  that  river,  viz. — the 
Isandra  to  the  west:  Hal  angina  near  Fianarantsoa;  and 
to  the  south,  the  Iarindrano,  abounding  with  fertilizing 
streams. 

The  province  is  almost  entirely  agricultural.  Manufac- 
tures have  made  little  progress  and  are  at  present  in  a 
primitive  stage.  Fine  herds  of  cattle  are  abundant :  one 
chief  duty  of  the  Hova  dependents  who  live  down  south  is 
to  watch  over  the  herds,  belonging  to  Imerina  nobles, 
which  are  fed  on  the  unoccupied  hills  and  wastes.  But 
the  chief  staple  of  the  Betsileo  is  rice,  and  of  this  great 
harvests  are  reaped,  which  supply  the  people  with  abund- 
ance of  their  favourite  food.  Give  to  the  Malagasy  rice 
and  gravy,  gravy  and  rice,  and  they  desire  little  more. 


VISIT  TO  THE  BETSILEO  PROVINCE. 


95 


The  ingenuity  with  which  the  Betsileo  secure  their  crops 
is  deserving  of  high  praise.  I  do  not  mean  the  unhallowed 
ingenuity  with  which,  after  digging  up  their  rice  fields  and 
flooding  them,  they  turn  a  herd  of  cattle  in  and  drive  them 
round  and  round,  over  and  over,  the  soil  to  mash  and 
pound  and  tread  it  into  soft  mud,  until  the  poor  beasts  are 
utterly  wearied  and  are  splashed  from  head  to  foot  with 
the  filth,  which  in  due  time  the  young  rice  plants  will 
clothe  with  their  tenderest  green.  I  mean  the  ingenuity 
with  which  they  terrace  the  hills  ;  tap  the  streams  at  their 
highest  sources,  and  lead  them  down  step  by  step  over  the 
terraced  fields ;  or  by  long  channels  bring  them  from  one 
basin  to  another,  making  \  the  water  do  duty  many  times 
over  and  securing  abundant  fruitfulness.  Very  pleasant 
to  the  eye  are  these  bright  terraces  when  the  rice  is  young. 
Eich  in  rice  are  the  valleys  of  Ambohimandroso  and  the 
broad  fields  of  Ikala  ;  but  nothing  can  exceed  the  skill  and 
care  expended  on  the  amphitheatre  of  Xandilnzana,  in 
which  the  terraces  descend  step  by  step  from  a  great 
height,  and  a  lavish  supply  of  water  from  three  streams, 
covers  them  year  by  year  with  a  golden  harvest. 

It  was  in  the  weekly  market  of  Xandihizana,  that  we 
saw  as  good  an  illustration  of  the  products  of  the  Betsileo, 
as  in  any  part  of  the  province.  The  chief  articles  exposed 
for  sale  were  rice,  manioc,  Indian  corn;  in  meat,  pork, 
beef  and  fowls ;  and  a  little  honey,  on  the  purchase  of 
which  there  was  reserved  to  the  buyer  the  right  of  clearing 
the  spoon.  The  manufactures  were  very  simple  :  lambas 
made  of  rofia  fibre  ;  a  little  coarse  silk ;  coarse  but  strong 
iron  spades ;  spade  handles,  timber  rafters,  thick  clumsy 
window  shutters,  with  the  hinge-pin  projecting  above  and 


96 


VISIT  TO  THE  BETSILEO  PROVINCE. 


below ;  wooden  spoons ;  leaf  plates ;  grass  baskets  and 
earthen  plates. 

We  were  surprised  and  disappointed  as  to  the  population. 
"We  had  always  heard  that  the  Betsileo  were  a  million  and 
a  half  in  number.  As  we  traversed  the  country  and  saw 
how  painfully  empty  it  is,  we  asked  ourselves  again  and 
again  :  Where  are  the  people  ?  In  a  few  broad  basins,  in 
a  few  rich  valleys,  are  built  a  small  number  of  towns, 
having  from  a  hundred  to  three  hundred,  houses.  Only 
Fianaran  has  five  thousand  people,  including  the  Hova 
garrison.  Enjoying  complete  security,  the  peasantry  scat- 
ter themselves  over  the  open  country,  not  building  their 
houses  in  large  clusters  or  in  villages  containing  from  a 
hundred  to  five  hundred  people ;  but  in  vdlds,  with  two  or 
three  houses  each  ;  and  in  the  absence  of  wood,  which  will 
not  grow  in  the  hard,  foggy  climate  and  the  keen  east 
winds,  the  eye  looks  with  pleasure  on  the  multitude  of 
green  rings,  the  cactus  hedges  of  these  little  hamlets, 
which  stud  the  hill  sides,  or  the  terraces  above  the  levels 
where  the  rice-plant  grows. 

The  government  reckon  in  all  the  Betsileo  and  Tanala 
provinces  fifty  thousand  hetra  or  holdings,  great  and  small. 
This  number  will  indicate  as  many  families ;  even  allowing 
for  changes  since  the  arrangement  was  made.  And  that 
calculation  would  give  for  the  entire  Betsileo  a  population 
not  exceeding  three  hundred  thousand  souls. 

In  their  religious  knowledge  and  character  the  Betsileo 
people  generally  are  behind  their  Hova  friends  in  Imerina. 
The  latter  have  been  under  direct  missionary  instruction 
for  many  years  :  and  it  was  from  some  of  the  faithful 
members  of  the  Hova  Churches,  living  in  Fianarantsoa  on 


VISIT  TO  THE  BETSILEO  PROVINCE. 


07 


duty,  that  the  province  first  received  the  gospel.  It  has 
now  fairly  got  in  among  the  Betsileo  proper :  the  former 
royal  family,  many  Betsileo  nobles  and  judges,  are  pro- 
fessed Christians :  the  majority  of  the  scholars  examined 
by  the  Queen  were  Betsileo.  The  Directors  had  long 
planned  to  send  English  missionaries  to  the  country  dis- 
tricts of  the  province,  as  well  as  to  Fianaran,  and  had  sent 
out  men :  but  until  the  time  of  our  visit  only  Fianaran 
had  really  been  occupied.  That  town  has  three  churches  : 
and  here  Mr.  Shaw  presides  over  the  Normal  School :  and 
Dr.  Parker  conducts  the  Medical  Mission.  It  was  ar- 
ranged during  our  stay,  that  we  should  occupy  as  central 
stations  in  the  country,  the  towns  of  Ambositra,  Ifanja- 
kana  and  Ambohimandroso  :  and  before  we  left  Madagas- 
car, English  missionaries  were  occupying  the  first  and  last. 
There  will  be  for  the  future  seven  missionaries  in  the  proj 
vince,  with  Normal  and  Theological  Institutions  ;  and  si 
good  staff  of  schools. 

These  important  questions  all  arranged  and  our  personal 
visits  all  paid,  we  commenced  our  return  to  the  Capital. 
The  season  was  advancing  and  the  rains  might  be  expected 
before  many  days.  We  left  Fianaran  on  Wednesday,  Oct. 
loth,  taking  the  road  through  the  centre  of  the  province  by 
which  we  had  come.  We  spent  the  Sunday  at  Ambositra 
travelled  direct  to  the  Mania  by  Isandrandc4hy :  saw  the 
strange  hills  of  Kiririoka  :  climbed  the  Pass  of  Ambodifia- 
karana ;  and  traversed  the  great  granite  moor  above  it  to 
the  foot  of  Votovorona,  one  of  the  finest  hills  in  South 
Imerina.  Keeping  to  the  east  road,  we  rested  at  Ambato- 
mainty,  celebrated  for  its  rats ;  avoided  Be-goaika,  still 
more  renowned  for  its  fleas :  obtained  a  fine  view  of 

G 


08 


VISIT  TO  THE  BETSILEO  PROVINCE. 


Ankarat  and  its  peaks  from  Ankazolava ;  slept  at  the  foot 
of  the  fine  boulder  hill  of  Iharanandrian  ;  and  reached  the 
Capital,  tired  out  and  ill,  on  Friday,  October  24th.  We  had 
had  a  rough  journey  :  but  it  was  worth  all  the  weariness 
five  times  repeated,  to  see  what  we  had  seen  and  to  learn 
what  we  had  learned. 


CHAPTEE  IV. 


RETURN  TO  THE  CAPITAL. 


Return  of  the  Queen  and  Military  Expeditions — Thunderstorm — Public 
entry  into  the  City  and  reception  by  the  People — Uniforms  and  cere- 
monies on  the  occasion — Reason  and  Course  of  the  War — Our  Inter- 
view with  the  Queen — Address  from  the  Directors — Rest  in  the  City 
— Home  at  Analakely — Visits  to  the  Institutions  in  the  City — Wor- 
ship with  the  Native  Churches —Festival  of  the  Fandrdana — Visit  to 
Country  Missions  in  Imerina — Importance  of  these  Stations — Voni- 
zongo — The  District :  its  spirited  people  :  their  high  principle  :  many 
of  them  Martyrs — Position  of  an  English  Missionary  in  these  Districts 
— Ambohimanga — Journey  thither  across  country — A  Royal  City  :  its 
sturdy  people  :  places  around  it — Ambatovory  :  its  beauty — Amba. 
tomena  and  its  People — Our  return  to  Antananarivo. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


RETUEN  TO  THE  CAPITAL. 


We  had  just  reached  the  city,  and  were  beginning  to  rest 
after  our  weary  journey,  when  we  were  quickly  followed 
by  the  Queen's  Camp,  and  by  the  two  military  expeditions 
which  had  been  absent  in  the  south-west.  All  parties 
were  anxious  to  be  safely  housed  before  the  rainy  season 
set  in.  All  had  observed  those  premonitions  of  its  ap- 
proach, which  in  every  country  the  unscientific  seem  to 
read  so  strangely.  And  all  were  anxious  that  full  advan- 
tage should  be  taken  of  the  earliest  showers  to  dig  and  sow 
the  rice  fields.  The  camp  arrived  not  a  moment  too  soon. 
The  tents  had  only  just  been  pitched  on  the  plain  of 
Imahamasina,  on  Tuesday,  October  28th,  when  at  sunset  a 
violent  thunderstorm  broke  over  the  city,  with  a  perfect 
deluge  of  rain.  The  system  of  drainage  in  force  in  An- 
tananarivo is  truly  scientific,  and  is  at  the  same  time 
severely  simple.  The  water  seeks  the  lowest  level,  and  is 
allowed  to  run  just  where  it  likes.  All  the  .outlets  in  the 
centre  of  the  city  on  its  west  side  converge  on  the  Imaha- 
masina plain.  The  camp  therefore  not  only  received  its 
fair  share  of  the  deluge  from  above,  but  became  the  bed  of 
countless  streams  below.    The  entire  place  was  speedily 


102  RETURN  TO  THE  CAPITAL. 


under  water.  Her  Majesty  the  Queen  was  safely  provided 
for  on  the  top  of  the  dining-table.  But  boxes,  bedding, 
dresses,  guns,  cartridges,  were  speedily  afloat,  and  the 
plight  of  the  new  arrivals  was  pitiable  in  the  extreme. 

On  Thursday,  October  30th,  the  Queen  made  her  public 
entry  into  the  city  :  and  the  people  gave  her  a  most  hearty 
welcome.  The  Queen  is  exceedingly  fond  of  her  subjects, 
]  is  truly  interested  in  their  welfare ;  and  her  people  yield 
her  a  simple  but  sincere  affection  in  return.  The  day  was 
therefore  a  happy  one  on  all  sides :  and  the  whole  city 
shared  in  the  joy.  The  place  of  reception  was  Andohalo, 
a"  triangular  space,  on  the  crest  of  the  city-hill,  a  little 
north  of  the  palace.  Near  the  centre  of  the  green  is  the 
sacred  stone,  on  which  the  sovereign  stands.  The  sides  of 
the  triangle  slope  upwards  ;  are  partially  cut  or  worn  into 
terraces ;  and  are  bordered  and  overlooked  by  high  houses, 
gardens  and  walls.  These  places  afford  opportunity  for  a 
large  number  of  spectators  to  dispose  themselves  con- 
veniently for  any  public  gathering,  such  as  a  coronation  or 
the  enactment  of  laws.  They  were  therefore  crowded  to- 
day with  people  of  all  ages,  especially  by  women  and 
children :  it  is  said  that  sixty  thousand  persons  were 
present,  and  the  coup  d'ceil  was  most  effective.  White 
predominated  in  the  dresses  worn :  but  blue  and  scarlet, 
mauve  and  purple,  were  present  in  abundance  :  and  under 
a  sky  of  brilliant  blue,  with  a  sheen  in  the  clear,  sharp  air, 
to  which  our  own  sombre  country  is  a  stranger,  the  glanc- 
ing of  the  light  and  the  play  of  colour  were  truly 
beautiful. 

The  inner  boundaries  of  the  assembly  were,  as  usual  in 
other  countries,  kept  by  soldiers.    The  city  guard  were  all 


RETURN  TO  THE  CAPITAL. 


103 


in  white  and  in  native  dress.  But  the  troops  who  had 
accompanied  the  Queen  to  the  Betsileo  were  in  uniform. 
As  at  Fianarantsoa,  there  marched  in  not  only  the  ordin- 
ary soldiers  with  Brown  Bess  as  their  weapon,  but  men 
with  the  red  coats  of  the  English  infantry,  with  trousers 
having  pink  and  white  stripes,  or  with  red  knicker-bockers ; 
and  the  young  men  in  rifle  green,  armed  with  the  Snider 
rifle.  The  Armstrong  gun,  by  many  degrees  the  latest 
"  infant "  of  the  artillery  community,  was  brought  up  with 
care  :  and  was  duly  fired.  The  majority  of  the  men  are  no 
doubt  militia,  and  their  weapons  are  ancient  and  rarely 
used.  Good  powder  is  precious  in  Madagascar :  and  the 
country  people  have  immense  faith  in  an  empty  gun. 
Nevertheless,  one  feels  a  deep  regret  that  the  Malagasy 
government  should  keep  so  many  soldiers  in  arms  :  and 
should  think  so  much  of  military  matters. 

To  me  the  most  interesting  element  in  the  military 
spectacle  was  this.  There  stood  before  us,  in  groups,  at 
the  upper  end  of  the  assembly,  some  five  hundred  men, 
wearing  the  uniforms  of  Field-Marshals,  Generals,  Colonels 
and  Seargeant-Majors ;  in  coats  of  cloth  or  green  velvet, 
and  even  long-haired  railway  rug,  covered  with  gold  lace, 
with  high  braided  collars,  and  in  many  instances  with 
epaulets.  The  larger  proportion  of  them  were  men  in 
years,  holding  "  honours "  and  still  ranking  as  officers, 
though  practically  "on  the  retired  list."  Some  of  the 
uniforms  must  have  been  imported  in  the  days  of  Piadama, 
and  some  were  of  the  pattern,  both  of  coat  and  facings, 
which  we  see  in  Hogarth's  sketches  of  military  life.  These 
were  "  the  ancient  men  "  of  the  community,  the  cautious, 
conservative  class,  of  settled  habits,  who  are  afraid  of 


104 


RETURN  TO  THE  CAPITAL. 


change,  and  whose  influence  acts  as  a  powerful  break  upon 
those  wiser  men,  who  would  wish  to  promote  real  im- 
provements in  the  social  and  public  life  of  the  community. 
Their  influence,  we  hear,  has  greatly  diminished  in  recent 
years :  the  strength  and  prosperity  which  are  manifestly 
springing  from  healthy  changes  have  silenced  their  op- 
position ;  and  it  is  quietly  dying  out. 

The  hats  on  the  ground  were  something  wonderful. 
Such  a  collection  of  specimens  of  the  genuine  British  head- 
piece, it  would  be  difficult  to  gather  in  London  itself,  ex- 
cept amongst  the  stores  of  its  Semitic  inhabitants.  They 
were  of  all  ages,  shapes  and  sizes.  They  have  been  kept 
with  extraordinary  care.  Not  one  was  black :  they  were 
all  brown.  But  not  the  rusty  brown  of  London,  with  its 
dust  underfoot  and  its  gloomy  skies  overhead.  It  was  a 
rich,  glossy  brown,  due  to  the  sun  and  the  fresh  breezes  of 
Madagascar.  There  was  the  tall  hat,  an  astonishing  pro- 
duction; the  French  hat;  the  narrow  brim;  the  brim 
curled  up ;  and  the  brim  sloping  off  into  infinite  space. 
And  there  were  numerous,  choice  specimens,  the  original 
owners  of  which  it  was  impossible  for  the  .initiated  to 
mistake.  As  he  looked  with  deep  interest  on  those  neat 
low  crowns  and  broad  brims,  one  of  the  Friends  present 
declared  that  they  could  have  come  from  no  other  place  in 
the  three  kingdoms  than  an  Essex-Quarterly-Meeting.  To 
me  all  this  was  most  suggestive.  Antiquated  hats,  tall 
collars,  costumes  of  days  gone  by,  worn  with  satisfaction 
and  believed  to  be  perfectly  proper,  brass  bands  and  the 
roar  of  guns,  indicate  ideas;  and  show  the  phases  of 
opinion  and  of  social  life  through  which  this  most  in- 
teresting nation  is  passing. 


EETUEN  TO  TEE  CAPITAL. 


105 


At  the  upper  end  of  the  Andohalo  plain  had  been 
erected  a  platform  for  the  Queen :  and  above  it  was  the 
canopy  which  had  been  employed  for  her  coronation,  and 
which  bears  the  inscription  :  "  Glory  to  God  on  high  :  on 
earth  peace :  good  will  to  men :  may  God  be  with  us/^ 
On  the  platform  had  been  placed  her  gilded  chair  and  foot- 
stool :  and  a  small  table  with  a  crown.  The  English  com- 
munity stood  in  a  group  a  little  to  the  right  and  front  of 
this  platform  :  the  Norwegian  Missionaries  were  close  by : 
and  the  members  of  the  French  Mission  were  a  little  be- 
yond Behind  was  a  band  of  judges  and  magistrates,  in 
purple  and  brown  lambas ;  with  a  small  knot  of  Arab 
merchants,  who  spoke  Malagasy  fluently.  The  guns  were 
fired  all  the  morning,  both  on  the  lower  plain  and  on  the 
Andohalo  hill :  and  from  nine  o'clock  the  troops  from  the 
camp  began  to  march  steadily  on  to  the  open  green. 
About  eleven,  the  scarlet  umbrella  appeared  at  the  western 
end  of  the  little  plain.  Soon  after  the  Queen  alighted, 
stood  for  a  few  moments  on  the  Sacred  Stone :  and  then 
walked,  attended  by  the  Prime  Minister,  to  the  platform, 
whither  the  ladies  of  the  Court  had  preceded  her.  And 
when  she  appeared  in  front,  amid  the  firing  of  cannon  and 
the  music  of  the  military  bands,  the  people  testified  their 
delight  with  shouts  of  joy.  "  May  you  live  long,  Euler  of 
Madagascar,"  was  heard  on  every  side. 

The  various  ranks  and  classes  of  the  people  then  in  turn 
expressed  their  congratulations  and  offered  the  "  hasina,"  a 
dollar,  in  token  of  their  loyalty  to  her  rule.  The  governor 
of  the  city  and  his  officers,  the  judges  and  magistrates, 
heads  of  thousands  and  heads  of  hundreds,  the  governor 
of  Ambohimanga,  the  superintendent  of  powder  works  and 


106 


RETURN  TO  THE  CAPITAL. 


others,  briefly  reported  the  state  of  their  departments  :  the 
Arabs  offered  their  homage :  and  then  the  European  mis- 
sions presented  their  congratulations.  The  Queen  made  a 
brief  speech  in  reply,  thanking  all  parties  for  the  order 
observed  during  her  absence,  and  for  the  good  service  they 
had  rendered.  She  expressed  her  thanks  to  God  and  her 
satisfaction,  that  she  had  returned  in  health  and  safety : 
and  briefly  informed  them  of  what  she  had  been  doing 
among  the  Betsileo.  The  people  responded  with  renewed 
shouts :  a  general  salute  followed,  both  with  music  and 
guns  ;  and  when  the  enthusiasm  had  begun  to  cool  a  little, 
the  English  present  took  it  up  again,  and  gave  a  ringing 
English  cheer,  thrice  repeated,  which  rather  startled  the 
Malagasy,  and  with  which  the  Queen  was  greatly  pleased. 
The  Prime  Minister  next  described  the  Queen's  journey 
and  proceedings  in  the  Betsileo.  He  also  announced  that 
the  Queen  gave  the  soldiers  four  months'  holiday  after 
their  long  march  :  and  she  hoped  that  they  would  dili- 
gently employ  it  in  cultivating  their  fields,  that  so  they 
might  have  plenty  of  food.    The  assembly  then  broke  up. 

On  the  following  Sunday  the  city  churches  were  once 
more  filled  with  large  congregations.  All  the  members 
and  preachers  who  had  been  absent  came  to  offer  their 
thanksgivings,  and  to  join  in  worship  with  their  families 
and  friends.  The  military  expeditions  also  returned  to  the 
city.  On  Monday  there  was  a  crowded  missionary  prayer- 
meeting,  and  we  had  the  pleasure  of  hearing  two  of  the 
principal  officers  describe  what  they  had  done.  The  con- 
duct of  these  expeditions  was  in  many  respects  so  remark- 
able, that  it  would  be  a  serious  omission  not  to  refer  to 
them. 


RETURN  TO  THE  CAPITAL. 


107 


The  reason  why  war  had  been  declared  against  the  Saka- 
lavas  was,  that  they  had  refused  reparation  and  apologies 
for  plundering  the  cattle  of  the  Hovas.  Among  the  Sakalavas 
are  many  fugitives  and  outlaws  from  the  Hova  dominions ; 
and  it  is  to  their  evil  conduct  and  bad  advice  that  the 
difference  has  been  attributed.  In  one  army,  under  the 
command  of  Eainimaharavo,  the  chief  secretary,  were  three 
thousand  men.  These  troops  marched  to  the  westward,  to 
a  point  fifty  miles  south  of  the  Mania  river,  and  three 
days'  march  from  the  west  coast  of  the  island.  They 
suffered  greatly  from  the  heat:  but  they  found  their 
enemies,  in  a  town  surrounded  by  water,  and  ornamented 
by  magnificent  tamarind  trees.  They  fought  them  for 
three  days,  and  lost  a  large  number  of  men :  but  the 
enemy  fled ;  the  Hovas  took  possession :  and  then  marched 
home  again.  In  the  second  expedition  there  were  fifteen 
hundred  men,  under  the  charge  of  Eavoninahitriniarivo : 
they  marched  on  a  line  a  hundred  miles  south  of  their 
friends,  and  had  no  fighting.  They  had  daily  prayers  in 
the  camp :  and  showed  remarkable  kindness  to  the  tribes 
among  whom  they  journeyed.  They  treated  the  women 
and  children  with  respect ;  they  purchased  their  supplies  : 
and  everywhere  they  left  behind  a  name  and  reputation 
held  in  honour.  The  Ibara  chief  said,  "  If  this  is  the  fruit 
of  the  praying,  it  will  be  good  for  us  to  pray  too."  Before- 
their  departure  from  the  city,  a  general  contribution  was 
made  by  the  churches,  to  supply  their  friends  with  quinine 
and  other  medicines,  and  with  comforts  needed  in  their 
new  circumstances.  The  people  were  deeply  interested  in 
all  they  heard  of  their  experiences.  And  when  the  Voni- 
zongo  levies  returned  home  they  informed  their  friends : 


308 


RETURN  TO  THE  CAPITAL. 


"  We  were  never  treated  so  before  :  our  officers  were  most 
kind  :  our  wants  were  inquired  into  :  and  if  we  were  sick, 
they  gave  us  medicine."  These  were  fine  illustrations  of 
the  influence  exercised  by  Christian  truth  upon  the  Hova 
people. 

A  few  days  after  her  return  the  Queen  kindly  received 
my  colleague  and  myself,  with  several  members  of  the 
mission,  in  special  audience  :  that  we  might  place  in  her 
hands  the  Address  which  had  been  forwarded  to  her  by  the 
Directors  of  the  Society ;  and  might  offer  to  her  and  to  the 
Prime  Minister  valuable  presents  of  which  we  were  the 
bearers.  Amongst  these  was  a  beautiful  casket  from  Mrs. 
Allon  and  the  ladies  of  Union  ChapeL  The  Queen  ex- 
pressed herself  as  much  gratified  by  the  Directors'  words, 
and  said  she  would  send  her  reply  when  we  returned  to 
England.  In  reference  to  the  younger  missionaries  who 
were  presented  with  us,  and  who  had  just  arrived  in  the 
island,  the  Prime  Minister  said  that  they  were  deeply 
interested  to  hear  that  two  of  them  were  about  to  settle  in 
the  Betsileo  province :  and  he  appealed  to  the  elder  mis- 
sionaries present  as  to  the  protection  and  security  which 
they  had  always  received  and  in  which  their  labours  were 
carried  on.  Our  interview  with  them  was  a  gratifying 
one.  There  was  a  homeliness  and  a  cordiality  about  their 
looks  and  words,  and  a  readiness  to  respond  to  our  assur- 
ances of  good  will,  which  showed  that  we  are  truly  re- 
garded as  friends;  and  that  they  are  themselves  truly 
anxious  for  the  welfare  of  the  people.  Such  was  the  inter- 
course which  my  colleague  and  I  continued  to  enjoy  with 
them  throughout  the  period  of  our  stay. 

"VYe  paid  formal  visits  at  this  time  to  other  principal 

\ 


BE  TURN  TO  THE  CAPITAL. 


109 


officers  of  the  government,  men  of  high  standing  in  the 
community.  And  as  we  came  to  see  and  know  more  of 
them  as  days  passed  by,  it  was  a  matter  of  great  thankful- 
ness to  find  that  there  are  amongst  them  so  many  men  of 
sincere,  simple  piety  and  consistent  life,  whose  families 
also  entertain  a  strong  attachment  to  the  gospel  and  to  the 
churches  of  which  they  are  members.  This  is  true  of  many 
younger  men  and  women  as  well  as  of  their  elders.  At 
the  same  time,  amongst  some  of  the  young  men,  things 
occur  which  occasion  deep  grief  not  only  to  their  English 
friends,  but  to  their  own  families. 

What  a  treat  it  was  at  this  time  to  enjoy  the  rest  of  a 
quiet  life.  For  four  months  we  had  been  incessantly  on 
the  move :  first  in  sea-life,  in  fierce  heat,  rough  waters  and 
strong  winds ;  then  on  land,  up  hill  and  down  hill  in  these 
Malagasy  districts,  journeying  through  the  most  moun- 
tainous country  I  have  ever  seen.  It  was  no  wonder  that 
we  had  returned  to  the  Capital,  wearied  and  ill :  and  that 
it  took  many  days  to  recover  from  the  exhaustion  produced 
by  our  rough  journeyings.  But  our  purpose  had  been 
accomplished  ;  and  we  had  already  completed  one  valuable 
portion  of  our  appointed  duties.  The  fresh  air  had  not 
been  without  its  advantages.  "We  had  both  come  back 
as  brown  as  gipsies ;  and  my  hands  were  never  so  burned 
before  by  the  sun  and  the  air.  What  a  treat  it  was  to  see 
the  sky  of  brilliant  blue,  and  quietly  to  breathe  the  pure, 
fresh  breezes.  The  air  was  thin,  but  it  was  bright,  clear 
and  quickening,  and  we  revelled  in  it.  The  light  and  heat 
were  far  less  powerful  than  in  India,  and  I  enjoyed  them 
thoroughly.  The  mornings  in  November  were  exquisitely 
fine  and  fair.    During  the  day  the  thermometer  would  rise 


110 


RETURN  TO  THE  CAPITAL. 


to  72°-77°.  And  by  a  strange  but  convenient  rule  the 
thunderstorms  would  come  on  after  four  or  five  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon.  The  lightning  was  at  times  intense :  it 
would  run  along  the  sky  in  silver  veins ;  or  shoot  to  the 
earth  like  an  arrow  of  molten  gold,  or  throw  a  violet  tint 
over  the  red  hills;  while  the  thunder  followed  instantly 
with  the  roar  of  artillery,  and  reverberated  from  hill  to  hill 
in  long,  rolling  peals.  When  we  arrived  the  country  was 
brown ;  or  vast  patches  of  it  were  blackened  by  the  grass 
fires  that  swept  over  them  day  after  day.  But  now  the 
hills  were  clothed  with  grass  fresh  and  young;  and  the 
rice  growing  tall  and  strong  in  the  flooded  fields,  hid  the 
entire  plain  of  Imerina  with  a  mantle  of  brilliant  green. 

For  six  weeks  at  this  time  I  resided  in  Analakely,  as 
the  guest  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thorne.  And  no  one  could 
have  studied  more  than  did  my  kind  hostess,  to  secure  for 
me  in  my  isolation,  the  comfort  of  a  truly  pleasant  home. 
Most  gratefully  do  I  cherish  the  memory  of  her  affectionate 
kindness  :  and  deeply  did  I  share  the  grief  of  many  around 
me,  when  in  the  month  of  April  she  was  called  away  from 
her  earnest  labours  here  to  the  higher  service  of  the 
heavenly  world. 

The  house  we  lived  in  is  English  built  and  of  English 
pattern.  It  contains  six  rooms  of  moderate  size  :  laid  out 
in  two  stories  after  the  following  fashion : 


N. 


NURSERY 

PANTRY 

DINING 
ROOM 

STUDY 

VERANDAH 

RETURN  TO  THE  CAPITAL. 


Ill 


The  roofs  run  from  east  to  west  over  the  two  north 
rooms:  and  from  north  to  south  over  the  dining  room. 
And  the  house  presents  the  following  appearance. 


MR.  PEARSE'S  HOUSE. 


I  give  these  particulars  for  two  reasons.  In  erecting 
this  house  for  the  Eev.  J.  Pearse,  Mr.  Pool  not  only  pro- 
vided a  modest  and  comfortable  dwelling,  thoroughly 
suitable  for  an  English  family ;  but  in  the  form  he  gave  it 
he  so  exactly  hit  Malagasy  taste  that  the  people  were 
charmed  with  it.  "Wealthy  natives  began  building  others 
like  it  for  themselves  :  it  became  the  model  which  they 
were  anxious  as  far  as  might  be  to  copy;  and  scores  of 
new  houses  like  it  may  now  be  seen,  not  only  in  Antana- 
narivo, but  dotting  the  more  distant  parts  of  Imerina ;  to 
the  great  comfort  of  the  people  and  the  improvement  of 


112 


RETURN  TO  THE  CAPITAL. 


the  arrangements  of  their  homes.  The  large  one-roomed 
houses  of  old  Madagascar  will,  in  due  time,  disappear 
before  these  newer  dwellings.  Even  the  numerous  Field 
Marshals  give  them  their  approval,  though  they  scarcely 
know  how  to  use  them. 

My  colleague  and  I  at  this  time  enjoyed  the  opportunity 
of  visiting  the  principal  institutions  of  the  city  maintained 
by  the  various  missions.  We  addressed  the  Theological 
students,  for  instance :  visited  the  Friends'  Boys'  School, 
and  Miss  Gilpin's  noble  Girls'  School;  our  own  Girls' 
Central  School ;  the  Normal  School ;  and  the  Medical 
Mission  Hospital,  to  which  Dr.  Davidson  had  just  returned 
after  his  visit  to  Europe,  and  in  which  Dr.  Mackie  and  he 
find  so  great  a  sphere  of  usefulness.  We  were  present  also 
at  the  half-yearly  meeting  of  the  Imerina  Church  Union ; 
and  were  greatly  struck  with  the  interest  which  the  mem- 
bers took  in  the  public  affairs  of  the  churches  and  the 
spread  of  Christianity  in  the  island. 

It  was  a  peculiar  pleasure  to  me  to  renew  my  acquaint- 
ance with  the  native  churches  of  which  the  Society  has 
now  so  many  in  various  parts  of  the  world.  I  have 
worshipped  with  our  converts  in  many  languages  and  in 
many  lands.  And  everywhere  I  have  admired  the  gentle- 
ness of  that  Christian  life  which  is  being  developed 
amongst  the  races  of  the  East.  Our  English  Christian 
life  is  of  a  high  order,  full  of  energy,  heroic,  tried  in  its 
principle,  self-denying  in  its  service,  ever  on  the  watch 
against  undesirable  complications,  dealing  with  the  deepest 
problems  of  religious,  social  and  public  life.  Its  loftiness 
of  principle  however  renders  it  a  piety  of  a  somewhat  hard 
type,  trammelled  with  the  order,  the  stiffness,  the  pro- 


RETURN  TO  THE  CAPITAL. 


113 


prieties  of  many,  many  centuries.  These  Eastern  converts^ 
made  in  our  own  time,  are  more  free.  They  have  more  of 
feeling  in  their  nature,  more  sentiment,  more  of  the 
affectionate  and  the  emotional  in  their  life  and  worship. 
And  what  gentle  Christians  their  good  women  become. 
How  these  Malagasy  people  sing:  and  how  they  enjoy 
their  singing.  An  hour's  "  service  of  song  "  is  the  ordin- 
ary prelude  to  the  Sunday  morning's  worship.  They  have 
a  fine  sense  of  time :  they  appreciate  harmony  in  the 
highest  degree :  they  always  take  four  parts ;  and  when 
(as  in  the  Capital)  they  are  well  taught,  they  sing  with  a 
fervour,  a  sweetness  and  a  plaintive  tenderness,  which 
often  brought  tears  into  my  eyes.  It  is  very  refreshing  to 
see  their  simple  piety,  their  delight  in  worship,  their 
strong  attachment  to  the  Word  of  God.  This  is  the  good 
side  of  these  churches,  the  encouraging  element  in  the 
Mission  work  around  us.  There  is  alas  !  too  much  which 
is  defective,  even  in  Imerina.  In  the  Betsileo  the  people 
are  still  more  backward.  There  the  outlying  congregations 
get  almost  no  teaching:  good  preachers  and  competent 
teachers  are  few :  the  singing  is  poor ;  the  schools  are 
poor;  readers  are  few.  We  are  anxious  to  meet  these 
things :  to  spread  our  English  Missionaries  more  widely 
among  them  :  the  Normal  Schools  and  Theological  Classes 
will  year  by  year  increase  the  number  of  trained  in- 
structors. There  is  real  life  on  all  sides.  We  have  now 
to  build  it  up :  to  nourish,  feed  and  strengthen  it  in  these 
children  in  the  faith,  until,  under  God's  blessing,  they 
grow  up  into  the  full  stature  of  men  in  Christ  Jesus. 
Every  work  on  Madagascar  describes  the  festival  of  the 

Fandroana.    This  year  it  began  on  the  fourth  of  December 

H 


114 


RETURN  TO  THE  CAPITAL. 


and  we  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  some  of  its  observances. 
Many  superstitious  rites  were  once  connected  with  the 
festival :  in  these  Christian  days  it  has  become  almost 
entirely  a  season  of  universal  fellowship  and  social  regard. 
Fat  bullocks  occupy  a  conspicuous  place  in  its  arrange- 
ments: and  noble  specimens  are  brought  into  the  city. 
They  are  slaughtered  on  a  special  day:  and  then  every- 
body sends  to  everybody  affectionate  messages  and  presents 
of  beef.  Every  family  receives  abundance :  and  the  poor 
get  a  large  supply.  Our  native  friends  of  all  ranks  sent 
huge  quantities  to  the  Mission  families  ;  and  our  servants 
and  dependents,  the  Mission  Hospital  and  the  Church 
poor,  came  in  for  a  good  share.  Christianity  has  purified 
the  festival  and  lifted  it  into  a  higher  region  of  human 
sympathy  and  consideration  :  and  long  may  the  Fandroana 
last,  a  national  Christmas  in  reality  though  not  in  name. 

As  soon  as  it  was  over  Mr.  Pillans  and  I  left  the  city 
on  a  visit  to  the  three  Country  Missions  already  estab- 
lished in  Im^rina.  To  these  and  similar  stations  the 
Directors  of  the  Society  attach  the  highest  importance. 
They  gladly  attach  to  the  City  a  small  number  of  mission- 
aries for  the  instruction  of  the  Theological  and  Normal 
Schools,  on  which  all  stations  in  town  and  country  de- 
pend ;  and  for  the  guidance  of  the  City  Churches,  whose 
views  and  example  become  the  model  which  the  Country 
Churches  copy.  Beyond  this  limited  number,  the  Direc- 
tors are  anxious  that  every  missionary  available  shall 
have  pastoral  charge  of  a  large  district  at  a  distance  from 
the  Capital ;  and  that  these  brethren,  residing  in  the  midst 
of  their  people,  shall  be  to  them  new  centres  of  Christian 
light  and  life  and  power.    They  hold  in  high  honour  the 


RETURN  TO  THE  CAPITAL. 


115 


men  and  women  who  are  willing  thus  to  isolate  them- 
selves for  the  sake  of  the  Master  and  of  the  weak  yet 
willing  children  who  need  their  help.  Such  men  become 
"Bishops"  indeed,  during  the  youth  of  these  imperfect 
churches :  we  have  many  such  in  our  Society ;  we  see 
similar  brethren  in  other  Societies ;  and  great  is  their  use- 
fulness. 

We  proceeded  in  the  first  instance  to  the  district  of 
Voxizoxgo,  which  lies  north-west  from  Antananarivo,  at  a 
distance  of  thirty  miles :  and  we  started  on  Friday,  Dec- 
ember 12th.  We  had  with  us  tliirty  men,  of  whom  fifteen 
had  been  our  companions  in  the  Betsileo1  journey :  their 
wages  were  sixpence  a-day  and  twopence  for  food,  out  of 
which  one  penny  was  clear  profit !  Our  road  lay  through 
the  City  Market,  across  the  rice-fields  and  along  the  em- 
bankments of  the  Ikopa  river  for  several  miles.  To  the 
north  we  had  the  long  ridge  which  bears  the  important 
town  of  Ambohidratrimo :  once  one  of  the  twelve  cities  of 
Imerina,  and  the  head  of  a  little  kingdom.  It  contains 
three  hundred  houses,  and  on  the  crest  of  the  hill,  above  a 
mass  of  giant  boulders,  towers  a  splendid  Amontana  tree, 
which  is  visible  over  all  Imerina.  At  a  later  period  we 
visited  the  town,  and  saw  Mr.  Baron  settled  in  his  new 
quarters.  Beyond  this  town,  we  passed  throngh  a  great 
deal  of  swamp,  the  remains  of  the  original  marshes  of 
Imerina,  and  still  full  of  the  papyrus  reeds,  which  the 
people  find  so  useful  for  roofing.  Thence  we  skirted 
Ambohimanoa,  a  noble  hill  on  a  broad  base,  one  of  the 
great  landmarks  of  the  province ;  rested  for  a  while  at 
Soavina  ;  crossed  the  ridge  of  Ambohimirimo  ;  entered  the 
broad  valley  of  Vonizongo ;  and  after  traversing  endless 


116 


RETURN  TO  THE  CAPITAL. 


rice-fields,  on  paths  six  inches  wide,  at  the  end  of  eleven 
hours,  reached  the  Mission  house  at  Fihaonana,  and  re- 
ceived a  warm  welcome  from  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Matthews. 

Vonizongo  is  a  broad  open  valley,  fifteen  miles  wide  by 
twenty  miles  long.  It  has  the  noble  mountain  of  Loha- 
vohitra  for  its  eastern  boundary :  on  the  west  is  a  long  low 
ridge  of  the  usual  red  clay.  West  of  this  again  is  a  fine 
valley,  which  has  for  its  western  boundary  the  lofty,  curv- 
ing ridge  of  Ambohimanga :  outside  of  this  running  north- 
west to  the  sea  is  the  river  Ikopa.  The  centre  of  the 
province  consists  of  the  sandy  clay,  deeply  scored  by  the 
strong  streams  which  flow  from  Lohavohitra  :  along  the 
waters  everywhere  the  levels  are  cultivated  with  rice,  and 
small  villages  are  numerous.  The  northern  part  of  the 
district  is  a  lofty  moor,  which  clings  to  the  skirts  of  the 
Ambohimanga  ridge,  and  over  which  the  east  winds  blow 
keen  and  piercing.  Fihaonana,  the  chief  town,  contains 
only  seventeen  houses.  But  it  is  and  has  long  been  the 
residence  of  the  chief  of  the  local  clans  :  and  there  are  large 
villages  at  a  short  distance.  The  population  are  much 
scattered:  and  there  are  four  or  five  clusters  of  villages, 
with  fields  and  churches  and  a  goodly  number  of  inhabit- 
ants, within  eight  miles  of  Fihaonana ;  which  at  once  point 
out  the  form  which  Christian  labour  must  take  among 
them :  and  there  are  other  clusters  about  Fierenana  and 
in  North  Vonizongo  to  be  dealt  with  in  the  same  way. 

The  inhabitants  of  Vonizongo  have  always  been  a 
spirited  and  independent  people.  Kadama  made  soldiers 
of  them,  and  he  found  them  brave,  enduring  and  self- 
reliant.  They  used  to  have  a  multitude  of  chiefs,  each 
with  a  long  pedigree  and  a  longer  tail  of  dependents  and 


RETURN  TO  THE  CAPITAL. 


117 


clansmen.  The  power  of  the  chief  over  his  people  was  as 
great  and  as  summary  in  its  dealings,  as  that  of  the  High- 
land chiefs  of  old  days :  and  the  clannish  feeling  is  still  very 
strong.  The  intelligence  and  spirit  of  these  tribes  led  them 
to  appreciate  the  teachings  of  the  missionaries  in  the 
earliest  days.  Several  lads  from  the  district  attended  their 
schools  in  Antananarivo;  and  both  Mr.  Johns  and  Mr. 
Griffiths  visited  them.  Indeed  the  missionaries  and  the 
people  felt  an  nnusual  regard  for  one  another.  The 
missionaries  found  their  teaching  appreciated.  The  story 
of  the  Bereans  was  rehearsed  once  more.  "  These  were 
more  noble  than  those  of  Thessalonica :  in  that  they 
searched  the  Scriptures  daily  whether  these  things  were 
so :  therefore  many  of  them  believed,  and  consorted  with 
Paul  and  Silas  :  also  of  the  devout  Greeks,  and  of  the 
chief  women  not  a  few."  Can  we  wonder  at  the  experi- 
ences which  followed  ?  The  mother  of  the  present  chief  of 
the  clans,  was  the  first  convert :  her  eldest  son  was  burned 
as  a  martyr  for  the  Gospel  :  her  second  son  was  sold  as  a 
slave :  two  men  from  the  first  little  church,  in  their 
Christian  zeal,  went  to  preach  to  the  Sakalavas :  were 
arrested  on  their  return  by  the  frontier  garrison ;  and  were 
speared  in  the  market-place  for  their  Christianity.  One 
noble  woman,  Eabodomanga,  boldly  gave  testimony  to  her 
faith  before  the  judges :  "I  do  not  pray  to  wood  and  stone 
and  to  the  mountains  :  unto  God  alone  do  I  pray."  Four 
of  the  sisters  of  this  brave  woman  were  martyred.  Of  the 
fourteen  martyrs  who  were  thrown  over  the  precipices  of 
Ampamarinana,  seven  were  from  Vonizongo. 

Of  Bazaka,  the  pastor  of  Fihaonana,  now  growing  grey 
with  years,  Mr.  Matthews  spoke  to  us  thus :  "  He  is  one 


118 


RETURN  TO  THE  CAPITAL. 


of  the  most  remarkable  men  I  ever  met.  To  this  man  we 
owe  not  only  the  number,  but  the  satisfactory  state  of  the 
churches  in  a  large  part  of  Vonizongo.  He  was  sent  to 
the  coast  by  Eadama  IL,  while  prince,  before  the  death  of 
his  mother,  in  order  to  see  what  the  French  missionaries 
were  doing  on  the  west  coast.  He  was  captured  by  the 
Sakalavas,  was  sold  to  the  French,  and  was  taken  to 
Bourbon.  There  they  tried  hard  to  make  a  priest  of  him, 
but  could  not ;  he  knew  his  Bible  too  well.  When  they 
found  that  they  could  make  nothing  of  him,  and  that  he 
was  likely  to  turn  some  of  their  people  from  them,  by  teach- 
ing the  Gospel,  they  sent  him  back  to  Madagascar.  He 
returned,  after  some  time,  to  his  own  village.  Since  the 
death  of  the  old  Queen,  in  1861,  he  has  been  not  only  the 
pastor  of  the  mother  church  at  Fihaonana,  but  really  the 
head  of  the  whole  district,  and  the  man  to  whom  all  the 
churches  look  as  to  their  father  and  their  guide.  Although 
only  a  clansman,  and  neither  a  chief  nor  a  freeman,  such  is 
the  respect  felt  for  the  man,  that  he  has  more  influence  in 
the  district  than  twenty  chiefs." 

It  was  a  great  pleasure  to  Mr.  Pillans  and  myself  to  see 
this  good  man :  to  talk  with  him  of  the  hard  days  of  trial ; 
and  to  hear  from  his  own  lips  the  story  of  the  sufferings 
endured.  He  told  us  of  the  meetings  w^hich  the  fugitive 
Christians  held  for  worship  and  mutual  help.  They  used 
to  come  long  distances  to  such  meetings ;  tracts  were  lent 
from  one  to  the  other,  as  a  tract  could  often  be  carried,  and 
hidden  away  under  their  garments,  when  a  Bible  or  Testa- 
ment could  not.  Parts  of  the  New  Testament  were  also 
lent  about,  even  to  single  leaves ;  and  leaves  of  the  hymn 
book  and  Pilgrim's  Progress.    He  said  that  they  often  used 


RETURN  TO  TEE  CAPITAL. 


119 


to  long  for  a  rainy  night,  in  order  that  they  might  be  able 
to  sing.  He  showed  us  the  underground  passage  beneath 
the  floor  of  his  house,  by  which,  when  the  soldiers  came  to 
search,  the  inmates  and  visitors  could  escape.  He  accom- 
panied us  to  a  pile  of  immense  rocks,  and  showed  us  the 


martyrs'  cave. 


little  cave  beneath  the  big  boulder,  three  feet  high,  into 
which  they  used  to  creep  for  their  meetings  :  and  the  hollow 
where  their  Bible  was  hid  away.  He  brought  vividly 
before  us  the  sufferings  and  the  persecution  which  his 
heroic  brethren  and  himself  had  endured  :  and  in  him  we 
realized  something  of  the  power  of  that  faith  by  which  all 
had  been  sustained.  Few  finer  bodies  of  Christians  have 
been  won  to  Christ  by  modern  missions  than  these  faithful 
men  and  women  in  Vonizongo. 


120  RETURN  TO  TEE  CAPITAL. 


We  remained  ten  days  with  Mr.  Matthews,  every  day 
finding  some  new  object  of  interest.  We  accompanied  him 
to  the  principal  localities  of  the  district  and  made  a  careful 
survey  of  the  whole:  we  ascended  Lohavohitra  and  had  a 
fine  prospect  of  the  country  to  the  west.  We  were  much 
struck  with  the  respectability  of  the  people :  with  their 
bright,  intelligent  looks :  with  the  self-respect  manifest  in 
the  demeanour  of  the  Christian  women ;  and  with  their 
hearty  enjoyment  of  the  religious  services  at  which  we  were 
present.  Two  of  the  most  pleasant  days  we  spent  in  the 
island  were  occupied  in  visiting  the  northern  groups  of 
churches  at  Ambohizanakolona  and  Sambaina.  We  were 
glad  to  take  the  pastors  by  the  hand,  especially  Eainisoa, 
the  pastor  at  Sambaina,  the  son  and  nephew  of  faithful 
martyrs,  himself  a  devoted  instructor  and  guide  of  the 
people  committed  to  his  care.  We  could  not  doubt  the 
genuineness  and  the  thoroughness  of  Christ's  work  in 
Madagascar,  when  we  visited  churches  like  these. 

We  were  clear  also  on  the  important  point  of  the  true 
position  to  be  held  by  the  general  body  of  English  mis- 
sionaries in  Madagascar.  All  who  do  not  hold  staff 
appointments  in  the  Theological  and  Normal  Schools,  but 
have  the  care  of  churches,  should  be  placed  in  charge  of 
districts  also.  Each  district  should  have  its  centre,  with 
three  or  four  sub-centres.  Instruction  should  be  given 
specially  and  on  system  to  the  preachers  and  pastors 
of  the  entire  district :  on  system  also  to  the  people 
generally  by  Bible  classes  maintained  at  the  sub-centres  : 
and  to  the  children  in  schools.  An  English  missionary  in 
Madagascar  can  rarely  visit  the  scattered  congregations  of 
his  district ;  but  by  teaching  and  advising  all  his  preachers, 


JRETUBN  TO  THE  CAPITAL. 


121 


and  by  systematically  working  on  his  principal  people  at 
its  centre  and  sub- centres,  in  the  course  of  a  few  years  he 
will,  under  God's  blessing,  contribute  much  to  the  en- 
lightenment of  the  whole.  This  form  of  labour  is 
thoroughly  approved  by  the  missionaries  generally,  and 
is  carried  out  to  a  greater  or  less  degree  in  all  the  country 
districts. 

We  left  Fihaonana  on  December  23d  after  a  most  plea- 
sant visit,  with  a  view  to  spend  Christmas  with  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Sibree  at  Ambohimanga,  which  lies  due  east  from 
Vonizongo.  We  passed  under  the  west  face  of  Loha- 
vohitra,  descending  into  deep  gullies  and  crossing  several 
streams  ;  came  to  the  river  Anjomoka,  with  which  they 
unite  :  and  which  about  twelve  miles  farther  to  the  west 
and  south  falls  into  the  Ikopa.  We  were  now  on  the 
northern  border  of  Imerina  and  were  approaching  the 
great  mountain  mass  of  Andringitra,  with  its  sacred, 
oracular  caves.  We  passed  beneath  the  western  buttresses 
of  Miakotsy ;  and  then  under  Andringitra  itself.  It  is  a 
noble  mountain,  without  any  prominent  peak,  but  pre- 
senting an  enormous  mass  with  a  high  curved  ridge,  the 
most  conspicuous  object  in  Xorth  Imerina.  To  the  south 
are  the  long  green  ridges  of  Ambohipihainana  and  Anibo- 
hipoloalina.  Passing  these  we  entered  a  long  and  narrow 
valley  under  the  ridge  of  Amboatany,  and  early  in  the 
afternoon  arrived  at  Ambohimanga. 

The  town  of  Ambohimanga  stands  on  the  long  gneiss 
ridge,  which,  under  the  roots  of  Andringitra,  forms  the 
northern  boundary  of  the  Imerina  plain.  The  ridge  has 
been  broken  through  at  various  points ;  and  the  hill  of 
Ambohimanga  is  isolated  from  those  parts  of  the  ridge 


122 


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which  lie  east  and  west  of  it.  It  is  beautifully  wooded  on 
all  sides.  On  the  north  side  the  houses  appear  among 
the  trees  in  three  large  clusters;  and  numerous  villages 
are  scattered  about  the  clay  roots  and  slopes  of  the  hill. 
On  the  south  the  face  of  the  hill  is  precipitous  :  and  the 
gneiss  rock  shows  itself  in  grey  masses,  among  the  woods, 
in  which  the  white,  thin  stems  of  the  Amiana  trees, 
gigantic  nettles,  are  specially  abundant. 

Ambohimanga  is  a  royal  city ;  it  holds  high  rank  in  the 
kingdom;  and  indeed  is  always  associated  with  Antana- 
narivo in  public  proclamations.  It  was  one  of  the  twelve 
great  cities  of  former  days ;  and  held  almost  the  highest 
position  among  them.  It  is  a  favourite  royal  residence. 
The  great  defender  of  the  idols,  Queen  Banavalona,  is 
buried  here;  and  it  is  probably  far  more  from  that  fact, 
and  from  her  known  enmity  to  Europeans,  supposed  to 
subsist  still,  that  they  are  not  admitted  into  the  city.  The 
Malagasy  hold  far  more  literally  than  we  do  the  idea 
that  if  English  missionaries  were  allowed  to  preach  on  the 
top  of  the  Ambohimanga  hill,  the  old  Queen  would  "  turn 
in  her  grave!"  The  present  Queen  twice  visited  Ambo- 
himanga during  our  stay  in  the  island :  she  was  there  at 
Christmas,  when  we  reached  the  place :  and  every  day  she 
would  sit  out  on  the  level  rock  at  the  summit  of  the  hill, 
while  the  scarlet  umbrella  indicated  to  her  people  that 
their  sovereign  was  "  eating  the  air."  Ambohimanga  con- 
tains probably  five  thousand  people.  The  ruling  tribe  of 
the  place  are  termed  Tsi-mdha-fdtsy,  "  those  who  do  not 
grow  white ,;  with  fear ;  "  the  bold  and  true,  in  bonnet 
blue,  who  fear  and  falsehood  never  knew."  They  are  bold 
and  brave,  but  they  are  rough  in  manners  and  rude  in 


RETURN  TO  THE  CAPITAL. 


123 


speech.  They  rather  pride  themselves  upon  giving  to 
every  one,  be  it  their  sovereign  or  their  missionary,  a  bit 
of  their  mind.  And  they  have  yet  to  learn  that  rudeness 
is  no  ornament  to  bravery,  whether  in  Gaul,  Goth  or 
Northman ;  and  that  it  is  possible  to  wear  a  velvet  glove 
oyer  .an  iron  hand. 

There  are  three  Christian  Churches  in  Ambohimanga : 
and  excellent  schools  both  for  boys  and  girls,  conducted  by 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sibree.  There  are  numerous  other  churches 
in  populous  villages  in  the  immediate  neighbourhood : 
churches  out  in  the  Imerina  plain  among  the  rice  fields, 
and  churches  all  along  the  roots  of  Andringtra :  churches 
in  a  great  valley  to  the  northward,  enclosed  by  noble 
granite  hills,  the  Anativolo ;  and  a  cluster  of  churches  five 
miles  to  the  eastward  on  the  edge  of  the  barren  moors. 
As  in  the  case  of  Vonizongo,  so  with  Ambohimanga  and  its 
district,  we  felt  what  a  noble  sphere  of  effort  it  constitutes : 
and  admired  the  energy  and  devotion  with  which  our 
friends  in  these  country  districts  have  accepted  their 
isolated  position  for  the  usefulness  which  it  secures.  We 
were  debarred  from  the  pleasure  of  worshipping  with  the 
city  congregations;  because  they  assembled  around  the 
Queen,  at  the  top  of  the  hill  and  within  the  city  gates, 
which  no  European,  English  or  French  may  pass.  But 
we  visited  one  or  two  of  the  district  churches  a  short  dis- 
tance away ;  we  saw  several  of  the  Ambohimanga  Chris- 
tians, and  among  them  the  sturdy  pastor  Eainikoto,  whose 
father  was  priest  of  the  great  idol,  who  guarded  this  por- 
tion of  the  country. 

We  spent  some  delightful  days  with  our  kind  host  and 
hostess  and  with  two  other  mission  families,  which  were 


124 


RETURN  TO  THE  CAPITAL. 


rusticating  at  Ambohimanga  during  the  Christmas  holi- 
days. We  scoured  the  country,  looking  in  upon  the  "  lions," 
and  finding  among  them  many  objects  of  interest.  The 
idol  village  of  Amboatany  we  found  embowered  in  trees, 
the  Aviavy  fig,  the  Amontana  with  its  broad  glossy  leaves, 
and  the  gigantic  nettle-tree,  the  Amiana.  Near  it  are  the 
enormous  boulders  of  Manga-be.  North  of  Ambohimanga 
are  three  beautiful  hills,  richly  clothed  with  green,  with 
flourishing  villages  at  their  feet.  Four  miles  to  the  east 
on  an  isolated  hill  is  the  old  royal  city  of  Ambohidrabiby ; 
it  is  named  from  its  king  Ba-biby,  who  is  said  to  have  dis- 
covered the  excellence  of  beef,  just  as  Charles  Lamb's 
Chinese  friends  found  out  the  delicate  flavour  of  roast-pig. 
He  was  a  noted  hunter  too,  and  among  the  swamps  filled 
with  huge  reeds  and  rushes,  like  Macaulay's  Etruscan  hero, 
he  brought  to  bay  and  slew  the  great  wild  boar,  which  was 
the  terror  of  the  country  : — 

"The  great  wild  boar,  which  had  his  den, 
Among  the  reeds  of  Cosa's  fen  : 
And  wasted  fields  and  slaughtered  men 
Along  Albinia's  shore." 

From  this  exploit  he  was  named  Ba-lambo.  His  tomb 
stands  outside  the  old  house  where  he  lived  and  is  a 
simple  structure.  His  lineal  descendant,  the  head  of  the 
tribe  here,  still  occupies  the  house  ;  and  being  of  a  practi- 
cal turn  of  mind  ornaments  his  little  garden  with  beans, 
cabbages  and  onions,  as  well  as  dahlias  and  roses. 

A  mile  from  this  antiquated  town,  we  came  upon  a 
pretty  chapel  in  Ambodi-fahitra,  built  with  good  taste  in 
Gothic  style  and  having  coloured  glass  windows.  We 
were  not  expected :  and  were  pleased  to  find  a  good  school 


RETURN  TO  THE  CAPITAL. 


125 


of  boys  and  girls  busily  at  work.  The  pastor  of  this  church 
is  a  younger  brother  of  one  of  the  martyrs,  Andriaman- 
antena,  who  lived  close  by.  When  I  took  his  hand,  said  I 
was  glad  to  see  him,  and  told  him  how  his  brother  was 
honoured  in  England,  he  was  profoundly  astonished ;  and 
said  how  could  you  know  anything  about  me  and  him  ? 
The  martyr's  widow  still  lives  and  is  one  of  the  most 
hospitable  ladies  in  all  Imerina.  On  two  occasions  we 
visited  her  house  and  were  most  comfortably  provided  for. 

On  Monday,  December  29th,  we  quitted  this  pleasant 
corner  of  Imerina,  for  another  mission  station,  Amba- 
tovory,  which  lies  to  the  east  of  the  capital.  As  before  we 
enjoyed  the  advantage  of  crossing  the  country  by  an  un- 
usual route  and  of  seeing  a  great  deal  that  was  new.  The 
valley  of  the  Maniba  we  found  full  of  villages  and  churches. 
Passing  through  the  ridge  which  bounds  it,  we  came 
opposite  a  remarkable  village,  Ambatomanoina,  a  mass  of 
boulders  of  enormous  size,  but  embowered  in  trees. 
Thence  we  passed  by  the  town  of  Soavina,  the  chief  town 
of  the  district,  close  to  which  the  new  mission  house  has 
been  built ;  and  winding  in  and  out  among  the  hills,  soon 
reached  the  hospitable  abode  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Peake,  which 
had  received  us  on  our  first  arrival  in  Imerina. 

Ambatovory  is  a  place  of  peculiar  beauty,  and  is  in  many 
ways  fitted  to  be  the  sanatorium  of  the  Imerina  Mission. 
It  is  only  ten  miles  from  the  capital.  Bracing  air,  pure 
water,  noble  hills,  rich  cultivated  valleys,  patches  of  forest, 
beds  of  ferns,  and  broad  moors,  contribute  to  its  beauty. 
Close  to  it  on  the  east  is  the  noble  mountain  of  Anga- 
vokely ;  and  on  the  south  a  fine  conical  hill,  Ambohitsi- 
leho,  covered  with  boulders,  and  looking  like  an  enormous 


126 


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pine-apple.  The  ground  is  high,  4600  feet  above  the  sea ; 
potatoes  grow  readily,  and  the  soil  should  produce  wheat 
and  English  grain  and  fruit.  The  Cape  laburnum,  with  its 
rich  clusters,  was  in  full  flower  :  the  little  thorny  Euphor- 
bia brightened  the  hedges  with  scarlet  or  yellow  flowers ; 
and  all  over  the  hills  the  wild  flowers  were  abundant. 

In  their  religious  knowledge  the  people  of  Mr.  Peake's 
district  are  far  more  backward  than  their  neighbours  of  the 
Imerina  plain.  And  he  will  have  hard  work  to  get  them 
on.  The  population  immediately  around  the  station 
amounts  to  about  12,000  :  but  they  are  conveniently  dis- 
tributed and  three  excellent  sub-centres  for  regular  visita- 
tion, can  be  formed  at  no  great  distance. 

There  is  one  bright  exception  to  this  state  of  things. 
Among  the  new  arrangements  of  the  mission,  was  the 
transfer  of  a  group  of  churches  from  the  care  of  Mr.  Wills 
and  his  people  to  that  of  Mr.  Peake.  And  two  months 
after  our  present  visit  to  Ambatovory,  in  March  1874,  we 
went  to  the  station  again  to  be  present  on  the  occasion. 
Ten  miles  to  the  northward,  out  on  the  great  moors,  is  a 
noble  rice-valley,  abundantly  supplied  with  water.  Around 
this  valley  are  thickly  clustered  several  fine  villages  :  Am- 
batomena,  Antsampandrano,  and  Ambohitseheno  are  the 
chief:  there  are  many  others,  and  they  contain  in  all  a 
population  of  more  than  five  thousand  souls.  Several 
fountains  burst  from  the  higher  parts  of  the  moor,  and 
soon  run  into  streams  and  rivers,  all  of  which  are  head 
waters  of  the  Betsiboka.  Two  of  these  fine  streams  run 
together  at  the  foot  of  a  hill,  on  which  stands  a  fine  village 
with  a  church.  The  hill  and  village  are  called  Antsam- 
pandrano, "  the  meeting  of  the  waters."    Erom  this  point 


RETURN  TO  THE  CAPITAL. 


127 


the  river  is  called  the  Mananara.  A  mile  to  the  north,  it 
flows  into  a  broad  level  plain,  which  forms  the  finest  rice 
plain  we  saw  in  the  province  except  the  central  portion  of 
Imerina  itself.  We  found  the  people  a  most  amiable, 
spirited  and  intelligent  people.  We  visited  them  in  three 
congregations.  Each  church  was  crammed  ;  and  in  every 
case  there  were  two  hundred  and  more  listeners  outside. 
In  the  three  churches  we  had  not  less  than  three  thousand 
people,  including  many  children.  They  took  a  deep  in- 
terest in  the  change  of  superintendence :  and  heartily 
approved  of  it,  promising  to  give  Mr.  Peake  a  warm  wel- 
come among  them.  They  received  us  most  kindly  and 
treated  us  royally.  At  each  place  they  wanted  us  to  dine 
after  the  service.  We  staved  off  their  well  meant  hospit- 
ality the  best  way  we  could.  But  our  bearers  were  less 
scrupulous.  They  confessed  to  having  had  two  dinners 
within  an  hour  and  a  half :  and  some  of  them  tried  a  third 
shortly  after.  We  found  that  these  good  people  were  a 
colony  from  Ilafy.  And  that  they  have  themselves  sent 
off  a  swarm,  to  people  another  valley  of  the  Mananara, 
forty  miles  to  the  north  ;  where  they  formed  the  village  of 
Anjozorobe  and  its  neighbours. 

Later  on  and  after  the  visit  to  Ambatomena  in  March, 
we  left  Ambatovory  to  retrace  our  steps  along  the  Tama- 
tave  road  and  pay  a  visit  to  Angavo.  After  living  long 
among  the  bare  hills  of  Imerina,  we  were  greatly  struck 
with  the  richness  and  profusion  of  the  Angavo  forest  and 
with  the  loveliness  of  the  hills.  We  saw  nothing  to  equal 
it  in  all  Madagascar.  Thence  we  passed  to  Andrangaloaka, 
also  on  the  borders  of  the  forest,  and  spent  three  pleasant 
days  with  Dr.  Davidson.    We  saw  also  Mantasoa,  the 


128 


RETURN  TO  THE  CAPITAL. 


great  factory  of  former  days,  in  which  the  chief  workshops 
were  built  by  the  Christian  martyrs,  who  had  been  en- 
slaved. We  visited  also  the  iron  district,  and  examined 
the  claims  of  three  towns  in  that  direction  to  be  the  resi- 
dence of  an  English  Missionary.  Of  these  Ambatomanga, 
the  usual  stopping  place  of  visitors  to  the  capital  in  former 
times,  was  one.  Hills,  rocks  and  valleys,  running  streams, 
ricefields,  villages,  succeeded  one  another  in  rich  variety 
and  ceaseless  numbers.  In  these  country  visits  we  added 
hourly  to  our  knowledge  of  this  strange  but  interesting- 
land,  and  understood  more  clearly  the  way  in  which  its 
people  have  been  led  and  trained  for  their  present  attain- 
ments and  for  the  part  which  they  have  yet  to  play  in  the 
world's  history.  And  we  looked  with  deep  interest  upon 
the  old  idol  village  of  Ambohimanambola,  with  its  great 
cactus  hedges  and  inhospitable  dogs;  and  saw  the  spot, 
/where  in  September  1869  the  idol  had  been  brought  from 
his  house  and  burned  before  all  eyes.  "  Behold  how  great 
a  matter  a  little  fire  kindleth." 


CHAPTEE  V. 


HOW  IT  STRIKES  A  STRANGER. 


Settling  in  the  Capital — My  Madagascar  Home — Prospect  over  Imerina — 
Family  Life  and  Housekeeping — Our  Servants,  the  Garden — Weather, 
Thunderstorms — Beauty  of  Imerina — The  great  City  Market  :  Food, 
Dress  and  Manufactures  Sold — Low  Prices — Money — Settlements  of 
the  European  Families — Roads — Our  Dress — The  Sun — The  Palace — 
Social  Life  in  the  Capital — Lack  of  External  Stimulus — Sources  from 
which  it  may  be  supplied — Memorial  Church  at  Faravohitra — The 
Martyrs  who  suffered  there  —  Conference  of  Missionaries  held  in 
January — Topics  discussed — Resolutions  and  Arrangements — Con- 
cluding Meeting — Important  Re-arrangements  resulting  from  it — Love 
of  the  Bible  among  the  People — The  Churches  in  the  City — Opening 
of  the  Memorial  Church  at  Ampamarinana. 


I 


CHAPTER  V. 


HOW  IT  STRIKES  A  STRANGER. 

The  rainy  season  had  fully  set  in  and  we  prepared  to 
settle  down  in  the  Capital  for  three  or  four  months. 
Busy  times  were  before  us.  We  had  to  hold  important 
consultations  with  the  missionary  brethren  respecting  the 
arrangements  of  the  mission :  we  had  correspondence  to 
maintain  with  home  :  and  there  was  much  to  accomplish 
in  working  out  our  numerous  observations  and  framing 
maps  of  the  Imerina  and  Betsileo  Provinces.  Our  first 
work  was  to  provide  a  suitable  home  for  this  period  of  our 
stay.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pillans  found  a  neat  little  house  on 
the  east  side  of  the  City-hill :  and  with  the  help  of  an 
excellent  native  woman  and  her  husband,  intelligent, 
kind-hearted  and  upright  people,  they  managed  their 
novel  housekeeping  exceedingly  well  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Grainge  kindly  received  me  into  their  house;  and  until 
I  finally  left  the  city  they  provided  so  kindly  and  con- 
siderately for  all  my  wants,  that  it  became  to  me  a  very 
pleasant  home. 

Our  house  was  situated  at  the  end  of  the  Faravohitra 
hill ;  on  a  long  clay  spur  projecting  to  the  north  and  east, 
which  spread  out  into  a  level  terrace,  with  steep  banks  on 


132 


HOW  IT  STRIKES  A  STRANGER. 


its  north  and  west  sides.  The  house  faces  the  west,  and 
has  opposite  a  noble  mass  of  granite  rock,  above  which 
stands  conspicuous  the  Earavohitra  Memorial  Church. 
From  the  north  side  of  the  terrace  we  had  a  beautiful 
view  over  the  Imerina  plains.  The  wooded  hill  of  Ambo- 
himanga  ;  the  solid  arched  ridges  of  Andringitra,  the  lofty 
peaks  of  Lohavohitra,  and  the  broad  massive  hill  of  Am- 
bohimonoa,  formed  the  outer  border  of  the  landscape. 
Xamehana  was  in  the  centre  of  the  picture  on  its  round 
hill ;  on  the  right  was  Ilafy  with  its  green  woods  :  while 
close  before  us  were  the  large  villages  of  Ankadifotsy  and 
Manjakaray,  with  their  dark  red  soil,  their  neat  new 
chapels,  their  numerous  well  built  houses  and  long  walls. 

Our  house  was  limited  in  size,  though  it  looked  large  ; 
having  but  four  rooms  round  a  large  central  hall.  It  was 
built  of  sun-dried  brick ;  had  two  gables  on  its  west  front ; 
and  a  verandah  all  round.  A  weak  point  in  the  house 
was,  that  though  boarded,  it  was  on  a  level  with  the 
ground.  The  house  was  not  native,  but  of  English 
pattern,  and  would  pass  very  well  for  an  Indian  bungalow. 
My  own  room  was  soon  put  in  order :  and  with  its  camp 
bed  and  washing-stand,  a  solid  table,  a  deep  wardrobe,  my 
travelling-trunks,  and  its  little  fire-place,  it  was  a  cosy, 
comfortable  den.  The  broad  shelves  of  the  wardrobe  con- 
tained my  books,  clothes  and  instruments  :  and  kept  my 
papers,  maps  and  letters  within  easy  reach.  On  the  top 
were  ranged  a  camera,  my  tool-box,  a  small  chest  of  tea, 
and  a  supply  of  English  stores.  Here  I  passed  many 
months  of  pleasant  toil,  editing  the  Conference  Papers, 
conducting  correspondence,  drawing  maps;  and  holding 
friendly  consultations  with  numerous  visitors,  who  came 


HOW  IT  STRIKES  A  STBAXGEB. 


133 


to  talk  over  serious  matters,  or  perhaps  have  a  quiet  chat 
over  four-o'clock  tea. 

As  in  all  Christian  missions  abroad,  our  family  life  was 
very  simple.  The  meals  were  breakfast,  dinner  and  tea : 
the  English  supper,  as  in  other  tropical  countries,  being 
omitted.  Beef  was  the  chief  meat  available ;  and  occa- 
sionally good  mutton,  with  the  long,  fat  tail.  Turkeys, 
ducks  and  fowls  we  could  buy  in  abundance.  The  potatoes 
were  moderately  good;  stewed  peaches  are  a  dish  for  a 
king;  and  peas  are  becoming  common:  but  the  country 
has  few  green  vegetables  like  those  of  England.  The 
Malagasy  have  no  cakes  and  no  bread.  These  are  made  in 
the  mission  families  from  flour  imported  either  from  Eng- 
land or  the  Cape.  Good  coffee  is  being  grown  on  the 
island :  but  our  tea  and  sugar,  sauces,  oils  and  pickles,  were 
all  imported.  Good  jam  is  made  from  the  Cape  goose- 
berry, well  known  in  India,  and  also  from  the  mango  :  but 
all  the  usual  English  jams  were  imported  from  home. 
Of  eggs  and  milk  we  could  obtain  a  good  supply :  and 
butter  was  made  in  the  house ;  on  the  primitive  system  of 
shaking  the  milk  in  a  bottle.  The  stock  of  rice  in  the 
markets  is  large  :  but  we  could  not  get  for  an  English  table 
the  many  finer  kinds  which  are  so  abundant  in  India. 

Oar  Malagasy  servants  were  not  nearly  so  skilful,  so 
neat  in  their  dress  or  so  regular  in  their  habits,  as  are 
servants  in  India.  They  have  been  under  English  training 
a  comparatively  short  time;  till  recently  many  of  them 
have  not  been  able  to  earn  money  for  themselves  :  and 
they  have  lacked  the  great  motives  to  personal  improve- 
ment and  diligence  by  which  the  free  service  of  India  is 
stimulated.    What  curious  costumes  they  would  at  times 


134  HOW  IT  STRIKES  A  STRANGER. 


put  on !  What  strange  cookery  they  would  produce ! 
What  vagaries  they  would  be  guilty  of !  Indian  servants 
worry  their  mistresses  enough  in  household  arrargements  : 
but  I  am  afraid  that  the  Malagasy  servants  are  a  greater 
worry  still.  My  own  servant  was  willing  and  attentive ; 
but  he  was  not  strong :  and  certainly  he  went  through  a 
great  deal  and  travelled  far  in  the  course  of  my  wanderings 
in  the  island.  His  wages  were  six  shillings  a  month  for 
service ;  and  two  shillings  extra  for  food :  and  on  that  mag- 
nificent sum  he  maintained  a  wife  and  two  children ;  kept 
his  house  in  repair ;  and  subscribed  systematically  to  his 
church  funds.  I  learned  much  Malagasy  from  him  :  and 
with  occasional  interpretations  of  difficult  matters  from  my 
host  and  hostess,  we  managed  to  understand  each  other 
tolerably  well. 

Our  house  stood  within  a  large  garden  :  and  the  pains 
taken  by  my  hostess  in  cultivating  it  were  rewarded  by 
seeing  it  for  months  together  bright  and  gay  with  flowers. 
Many  of  our  English  flowers  grew  readily :  but  nothing 
could  equal  the  coxcombs  in  their  beauty.  The  flowers 
were  enormous  :  we  had  eleven  in  the  garden,  all  hand- 
some in  form  and  of  a  deep  rich  crimson.  But  one,  the 
pride  of  the  garden,  grew  to  be  thirty-two  inches  in  length 
and  eighteen  inches  across :  and  when  finally  cut  off,  close 
to  the  green  stem,  it  weighed  two  pounds  and  a  quarter. 
It  was  a  truly  splendid  flower. 

Our  garden  was  a  very  practical  place  also.  We  grew 
English  peas,  broad  beans,  French  beans,  carrots,  mint  and 
vegetable  marrows.  We  had  a  large  number  of  mango- 
trees,  which  yielded  a  good  crop  of  mangoes,  and  several 
bibas  or  loquat  trees,  which  also  gave  very  sweet  fruit. 


HOW  IT  STRIKES  A  STRANGER. 


135 


And  several  cucumber  vines  secured  a  regular  supply  of 
English  cucumbers. 

During  the  rainy  season,  from  December  to  April,  the 
weather  was  exceedingly  pleasant.  The  sun  was  hot :  but 
the  air  in  Imerina  is  thin  and  the  heat  was  not  oppressive 
or  fiery,  as  on  the  coast  or  in  the  plains  of  India.  The 
thermometer  usually  stood  in  the  shade  at  75°.  Under  a 
strange  but  convenient  rule  the  storms  and  thunder- 
showers  rarely  fell  before  four  in  the  afternoon.  But  often 
during  the  evening  they  would  burst  with  great  violence  : 
the  lightning  would  stream  in  chains  of  molten  silver  all 
over  the  sky ;  the  thunder  would  follow  in  sharp,  cracking 
peals  with  a  terrific  cannonade ;  and  then  the  rain  fell  in 
torrents.  During  the  morning  the  air  was  exquisitely 
fresh  and  crisp  and  pure:  the  sky  was  a  pale,  delicate  blue; 
the  light  was  sharp  and  brilliant ;  and  we  could  distinctly 
see  objects  many  miles  away,  as  if  they  were  close  by. 

The  view  from  the  platform  on  which  our  house  stood, 
over  the  plain  to  the  northward  was  wonderfully  beautiful. 
Bordered  by  grand  hills  and  studded  with  hundreds  of 
villages  and  towns,  Imerina  is  in  many  respects  one  of  the 
most  picturesque  provinces  of  Madagascar.  Here  it  is  gay 
with  the  bright  green  of  the  young  rice :  there  it  is  shaded 
with  the  dark  woods  of  Ilafy  and  Ambohimanga.  Here 
the  great  turtle-head  rock  of  Ambatomalaza  stands  con- 
spicuous  in  the  landscape,  or  the  lofty  pillars  of  the  Three 
Sisters ;  there  are  the  long  slope  of  Fandravasana,  the 
rugged  peaks  of  Ant6ngona,  or  the  towering  masses  of 
Ankaratra.  Here  lie  the  quiet  waters  of  the  Queen's  Lake, 
with  its  little  island  embowered  in  trees;  there  are  seen 
clusters  of  villages  with  their  brown  huts,  the  green  ram- 


136 


HOW  IT  STEIKES  A  STEANGEE. 


parts  of  Arabohidrapeto  or  the  lofty  amontaua  of  Ambohi- 
dratrimo.  It  was  impossible  to  survey  this  wide-spread 
scene  without  feelings  of  exhilaration  and  delight.  We 
know  the  golden  glory  which  at  sunset  lights  up  the  snows 
of  Switzerland :  but  nothing  can  exceed  the  sharpness  of 
the  light  as  it  plays  over  the  landscape  in  the  crisp,  clear 
air  of  Madagascar  after  refreshing  rain ;  and  no  pen  can 
describe  the  deep  golden  blush  which  beautifies  the  red 
hills  with  an  unearthly  radiance  when  the  autumnal  sun 
sinks  calmly  to  rest.  Day  after  day,  from  the  terrace  of 
my  Madagascar  home  I  looked  with  feelings  akin  to  rap- 
ture upon  that  wondrous  scene.  For  I  saw  on  every  side 
not  merely  material  beauty,  the  grace  of  form,  rich  tones 
and  tints  of  colour,  or  the  bountiful  supply  for  a  people's 
wants  ;  I  beheld  the  proofs  of  a  young  nation's  progress ; 
new  houses  rising  in  the  villages ;  new  houses  of  better 
pattern  for  the  wealthier  classes.  I  saw  the  fortressed 
hills  deserted  for  the  open  plain ;  peace,  security,  mutual 
confidence  had  taken  the  place  of  intestine  war :  I  saw  the 
new  school-house  and  the  handsome  church,  intelligent 
children  and  devout  congregations ;  I  saw  that  men  were 
living  in  truer  fellowship  with  men,  because  together  they 
were  striving  to  rise  higher  towards  God. 

The  great  market  of  Antananarivo  was  a  place  full  of 
interest  to  us  strangers.  It  is  called  the  Zoma  or  Friday, 
because  it  is  held  upon  that  day.  It  stands  on  the  north- 
west of  the  city ;  on  the  hill  which  forms  the  outer  side  of 
the  Analakely  valley.  It  is  lozenge-shaped,  and  its  sides 
are  about  sixty  yards  long.  It  may  once  have  proved 
spacious ;  but  the  requirements  of  the  place  have  outgrown 
the  accommodation  and  it  is  now  far  too  small  for  its  work. 


HOW  IT  STRIKES  A  STRANGER. 


137 


It  is  believed  that  thirty  thousand  people  come  into  it 
from  the  country  every  Friday.  The  south  side  of  the 
market  extends  to  the  public  road,  and  there  have  been 
erected  a  line  of  booths,  covering  wooden  platforms,  which 
in  Madagascar  form  the  nearest  approach  to  shops.  Every- 
where else  there  is  a  great  absence  of  convenient  arrange- 
ments for  the  display  and  sale  of  goods.  A  few  squares  of 
raised  clay,  a  few  wooden  frames,  a  few  large  umbrellas, 
these  are  the  only  fittings.  In  most  cases  the  traders 
just  lay  their  goods  on  the  ground  on  mats  or  a  white 
cloth.  There  are  also  no  fixed  roads  through  and  across 
the  market  place,  and  it  is  as  difficult  to  move  through  the 
dense  crowd  as  through  a  herd  of  cows. 

The  articles  sold  form  an  excellent  index  of  the  degree 
of  civilisation  which  has  been  reached  by  the  people. 
There  is  a  loose  classification  of  them  to  be  found  in  vari- 
ous divisions  of  the  market.  Firewood  is  brought  in  large 
quantities  from  the  forest :  but  it  is  not  large  wood,  it  is 
mostly  brush.  Huge  piles  of  hfrrena  also  are  close  by,  a 
broad-leafed  papyrus,  most  useful  for  thatching :  beams, 
boards,  poles  and  door-posts  are  brought  in  considerable 
quantities :  they  are  prepared  in  the  forest  solely  by  the 
hatchet :  a  noble  tree  makes  but  one  board,  which  sells  for 
half-a-crown  ;  and  the  waste  in  preparing  it  is  enormous. 
The  principal  meat  sold  is  beef,  of  which  there  is  abund- 
ance throughout  the  island.  Good  mutton  also  may  be 
had,  of  the  fat-tailed  sheep ;  and  plenty  of  pork,  which  I 
do  not  recommend.  The  sheep  are  tied  together  by  their 
legs.  Turkeys,  ducks,  geese  and  fowls  appear  in  large 
quantities.  Pace  abounds,  of  several  kinds;  and  is  sold 
both  cleaned  and  in  the  husk.    Potatoes  are  provided  more 


138 


HOW  IT  STRIKES  A  STRANGER. 


for  the  English  families  than  for  the  natives  generally ;  and 
with  green  peas,  are  usually  brought  to  their  houses.  Yams 
and  sweet  potatoes  are  abundant;  and  also  Indian  corn. 
Green  vegetables  are  not  common ;  some  twelve  or  fifteen 
kinds  are  known  and  eaten  by  the  people  :  but  they  do  not 
form  so  decided  an  element  in  their  food  as  in  England. 
Eice  is  all  in  all  to  the  Malagasy.  There  is  a  good  supply 
of  fruit  in  the  market ;  the  bananas,  large  and  small,  are 
good :  pine-apples  are  abundant,  good  and  bad ;  also  green 
lemons,  large,  red  tomatoes,  mulberries,  wild  peaches,  and 
a  little  round  fruit,  the  Cape  gooseberry.  There  is  plenty 
of  honey  :  also  of  tobacco,  of  native  growth.  The  tobacco 
is  sold  in  leaf,  stalk  and  powder :  with  little  snuff-mulls 
made  from  bamboo;  and  the  people  do  not  smoke,  nor 
smell,  but  suck  and  eat  it ! 

All  varieties  of  the  common  native  lamba  appear  on  the 
stalls  ;  whether  made  from  cotton  or  from  the  palm-fibre ; 
with  English  chintzes,  printed  cottons,  calicoes  and  long- 
cloth  :  and  in  wearing  imported  dresses  the  natives  seem 
to  consider  as  an  ornament  the  name  of  the  English  manu- 
facturer or  merchant  stamped  on  the  cloth  in  large  blue 
letters.  Lambas  with  striped  borders  are  favourites  with 
the  natives  :  but  there  is  a  fashion  in  these  things,  and  the 
fashion  changes  in  Antananarivo,  as  well  as  in  Paris.  Eine 
straw  hats  are  common :  they  are  worn  by  the  Hovas  with 
a  broad  black  velvet  band,  and  make  a  handsome  head- 
dress. Flimsy  umbrellas  with  double  cover,  through  which 
the  sun  shines  powerfully,  are  numerous  and  cheap.  Good 
mats  also  may  be  purchased,  as  well  as  coarse  and  common 
mats.  Silk  lambas  are  not  exposed  for  sale  in  the  market, 
for  solid  reasons  :  but  baskets  of  cocoons,  both  yellow  and 


HOW  IT  STRIKES  A  STRANGER. 


139 


white,  may  always  be  seen  :  they  are  small  in  size.  Hanks 
and  skeins  of  the  silk  are  common,  white,  yellow  and 
brown. 

There  is  a  good  supply  of  iron  work  in  the  market :  but 
it  is  rough  and  coarse.  Heavy  spades ;  nails  of  various 
sizes ;  hinges,  locks,  pincers  and  tweezers,  hatchets,  chop- 
pers, hammers  and  trowels,  are  sold  in  abundance,  all  of 
native  work.  Many  articles  of  a  superior  kind,  saws, 
hatchets,  padlocks,  hinges  and  the  like,  are  English.  Of 
native  crockery  and  glass  there  is  nothing  :  it  is  all  English : 
and  the  English  houses  that  import  it  seem  to  think  that 
flaming  patterns  suit  the  native  taste.  A  great  deal  of 
crockery  is  gradually  being  introduced  among  the  people, 
who  find  dishes,  bowls,  plates  and  cups  exceedingly  useful. 
A  bottle  is  much  prized  in  Madagascar,  as  in  India.  The 
native  pottery  is  very  poor  :  it  is  ill-burnt  and  very  brittle. 
Still  water  pitchers,  jars,  plates  and  saucers  (both  red  and 
black)  are  brought  to  the  market  in  large  quantities.  The 
potter's  wheel  is  not  known  in  Madagascar,  as  it  is  in 
India;  where  excellent  tiles  are  made  on  it,  as  well  as 
vessels  of  many  kinds.  There  is  good  tin  ware  in  the 
market :  cups,  water-scoops,  and  blue  boxes  with  round 
and  flat  lids.  Neat  wooden  boxes  also  are  sold ;  but  they 
are  heavy.  There  was  one  stall  in  the  market,  for  lozenges 
and  tea :  and  a  Christian  schoolmaster  had  one,  for  the 
sale  of  slates,  books,  pencils,  steel  pens,  note-books  and 
paper.    Lastly  there  were  always  for  sale  a  few  slaves. 

Many  things  that  may  now  be  purchased  in  the  city 
are  not  brought  to  the  market  at  all.  Good  boots  and 
shoes  are  increasing  in  numbers :  and  the  natives  work 
them  neatly :  but  the  sole-leather  is  poor  and  ill  tanned. 


140 


HOW  IT  STRIKES  A  STRANGER. 


House  furniture  on  English  patterns  can  be  made  to  order  : 
sideboards,  wardrobes,  tables  and  chairs,  can  be  purchased 
at  moderate  rates.  The  native  carpenters  also  produce  all 
the  fittings  of  schools  and  churches,  window  frames,  and 
Venetian  shutters,  and  doors  and  flooring  for  houses. 

To  me  the  prices  of  all  these  things  were  an  object  of 
constant  amusement ;  they  were  so  low.  A  lady  would 
tell  her  cook  to  bring  home  from  the  market  six-penny- 
worth of  sirloin ;  and  receive  some  rive  lbs.  of  beef  as  the 
result.  I  once  sent  into  the  Capital  a  bushel  and  a  half  of 
potatoes  for  which  I  paid  a  shilling.  Common  pine-apples 
came  into  the  market,  five  hundred  for  a  dollar,  that  is 
ten  for  a  penny :  beautiful  pine-apples  were  a  penny  each: 
a  large  dishful  of  good  mangoes  cost  twopence.  Beams 
and  rafters,  four  inches  by  six,  and  twelve  feet  long,  would 
cost  from  sevenpence  to  tenpence  each.  We  used  to  get 
forty  eggs  for  a  shilling  in  the  city :  in  the  country  they 
had  a  fancy  price  and  were  a  penny  each.  A  large  turkey 
cost  a  shilling :  a  fat  fowl,  twopence.  Wages  are  of  course 
low  in  a  country  like  this :  they  are  lower  even  than  in 
India :  but  food  is  also  much  cheaper.  In  one  district  we 
found  that  sixty  lbs.  weight  of  maize  was  sold  for  three- 
pence :  rice  was  equally  cheap  and  plentiful.  With  im- 
provements, expenses  are  increasing,  and  prices  are  slowly 
rising:  security,  honesty,  diligence  properly  demand  higher 
wages ;  and  they  furnish  in  abundance  those  increased 
resources  by  which  such  wages  are  paid. 

With  increase  of  civilisation,  production  and  sales  there 
has  naturally  arisen  an  increased  demand  for  money.  The 
Malagasy  have  no  coin  of  their  own  :  and  the  want  is  sup- 
plied by  a  constant  importation  of  French  silver.  The 


BOW  IT  STRIKES  A  STBAXGEE. 


141 


only  coin  which  passes  current  with  the  people  is  the  five- 
franc  piece,  which  has  the  value  of  a  dollar,  i.e.  four 
shillings.  The  whole  piece  represents  what  is  a  large  sum 
to  a  Malagasy.  To  provide  therefore  for  small  payments 
the  dollars  are  cut  into  halves,  quarters,  eighths,  and 
smaller  pieces.  Some  men  can  get  six  hundred  pieces  out 
of  a  dollar,  each  piece  having  a  portion  of  the  stamp  on  it. 
This  broken  money  is  sold  or  paid  by  weight :  and  every 
household,  English  or  native,  has  its  little  weights  and 
scales  for  the  purpose.  Coins  of  the  Malagasy  government, 
both  silver  and  copper,  of  various  values,  will  be  a  great 
improvement  on  this  inconvenient  system.  But  it  will 
take  time  to  introduce  them.  I  learned  in  India  that  on 
no  subject  are  natives  so  sensitive  as  on  that  of  coined 
money. 

The  European  community  live  principally  in  the  northern 
parts  of  the  city  :  a  goodly  number  reside  near  the  earliest 
seat  of  the  mission  in  Analakely :  a  large  group  again 
occupy  the  upper  part  of  the  Faravohitra  hill,  among  whom 
the  Friends  are  conspicuous.  Three  of  the  public  roads 
were  in  constant  use  amongst  us,  as  they  united  the  various 
houses  and  settlements  together.  The  road  along  the  top 
of  Faravohitra  going  south  climbs  a  steep  part  of  the  city 
hill  and  terminates  in  the  Andohalo  plain.  Close  by  its 
termination  a  road  runs  westward :  it  passes  the  Girls' 
Central  School,  the  Normal  School  and  the  London  Society's 
Press :  then  turns  down  the  hill  at  the  head  of  the  Anala- 
kely valley,  and  passes  the  Norwegian  Church  to  Ambato- 
nakanga.  Turning  north  under  the  walls  of  the  Memorial 
Church  there,  it  descends  into  Analakely,  then  keeps  up 
the  side  of  the  Faravohitra  hill,  until  it  joins  the  first  of 


142 


HOW  IT  STRIKES  A  STRANGER. 


the  roads  at  the  north  end  of  that  hill.  I  was  anxious  to 
see  these  three  roads  well  paved :  to  see  them  made  a 
model  of  what  the  city  roads  and  paths  should  be.  But 
difficulties  were  suggested  and  it  was  thought  that  the 
expense  would  be  heavy.  Nevertheless  a  good  beginning 
would  have  been  worth  something ;  and  I  yet  hope  to  hear 
that  the  project  will  be  carried  out.  At  present  all  the 
city  roads  are  in  a  bad  way,  even  at  their  best.  At  Anka- 
dibevava,  the  road  which  enters  the  city  on  the  east  has  a 
yawning  gulf  at  its  side,  which  would  not  only  swallow 
one  Curtius  and  his  steed,  but  would  bury  a  dozen  enter- 
prising young  Malagasy  similarly  mounted.  A  strong 
stream  of  water  from  open  drains  pours  into  this  gully, 
which  year  by  year  is  growing  deeper.  The  heavy  torrents 
of  rain  which  fall  in  a  single  thunderstorm  cut  up  the 
ground  badly  wherever  they  are  permitted  to  run  uncon- 
trolled. And  it  is  because  so  little  is  done  both  to  check 
them  in  their  fall,  and  to  repair  the  damage  when  once 
produced,  that  the  city  roads  are  in  such  an  uncivilised 
condition.  If  once  put  right,  they  must  also  by  constant 
care  be  kept  right.  But  the  need  of  that  care  is  no  reason 
why  they  should  not  be  repaired  at  all. 

In  moving  about  during  the  day  my  Indian  experience 
led  me  to  be  careful  of  exposure  to  the  sun.  I  wore  a 
light  woollen  dress :  my  Indian  helmet  of  pith  proved 
most  useful ;  and  I  carried  a  large  double  umbrella.  We 
had  all  to  guard  against  the  morning  mists  and  the  strong 
east  winds :  and  there  was  a  constant  tendency  to  get 
chilled  by  changes  of  temperature  in  the  pure,  thin  air. 
Such  chills,  I  found,  were  far  more  frequently  the  cause  of 
fever  in  our  native  bearers,  than  anything  else.   We  walked 


HOW  IT  STRIKES  A  STRANGER. 


143 


as  much  as  we  could  without  suffering  fatigue :  or  were 
carried  by  four  men,  in  the  usual  filanzan;  which  is  the 
back  and  seat  of  a  chair  hung  on  to  a  pair  of  well-fitted 
poles.  We  observed  with  interest  that  after  sunset  the 
streets  of  the  city  are  completely  deserted  by  the  natives  : 
and  in  moving  about  we  always  carried  lanterns. 


THE  QUEEN  S  RESIDENCE. 

Beyond  Andohalo,  proceeding  south,  we  rise  to  the  high- 
est part  of  the  city-hill :  and  here  in  a  cluster  stand  the 
Queen's  Palace  and  many  houses  of  the  Prime  Minister 
and  the  chief  nobles  of  the  country.  The  Great  Palace  is 
growing  a  more  conspicuous  object  than  ever ;  owing  to 
the  verandah  of  stone  pillars  by  which  Mr.  Cameron  is 
now  strengthening  it.  When  finished  it  will  be  a  hand- 
some  building:  but  it  has  been  a  heavy  tax  upon  the  people's 


144 


HOW  IT  STRIKES  A  STRANGER. 


energies.  The  Queen's  residence  is  a  smaller  palace  of 
wood  just  behind.  Close  to  it  is  the  Royal  church,  a  hand- 
some building  also,  erected  after  an  English  pattern  by  Mr. 
Pool.  These  various  buildings  have  often  been  sketched 
by  writers  on  the  city  ;  they  are  shown  in  the  frontispiece 
to  this  volume;  and  I  need  only  refer  to  them.  The  many 
improvements  introduced  into  them  in  recent  years,  as 
well  as  into  the  churches  and  dwelling-houses  in  their 
neighbourhood,  give  striking  indications  of  the  great  ad- 
vance made  by  the  upper  classes  in  the  island. 

Our  social  life  in  Antanonarivo  had  few  excitements. 
More  than  twenty  families  are  now  stationed  in  the  city, 
connected  with  the  different  missions ;  and  constant  and 
most  friendly  intercourse  takes  place  between  them.  My 
colleague  and  myself  were  made  most  welcome  in  their 
pleasant  homes,  and  the  friendship  extended  to  us  did 
much  to  lighten  the  burden  of  what  would  otherwise  have 
proved  a  somewhat  lonely  life.  Social  gatherings  frequently 
took  place.  But  the  most  pleasant  of  all  was  the  regular 
Friday-evening  prayer  meeting,  held  at  the  different  houses 
in  succession  ;  at  which  thirty  or  forty  were  present ;  and 
which  was  felt  to  be  a  constant  stimulus  to  spiritual  life 
and  power,  where  external  aids  were  so  largely  wanting. 
Our  English  service  on  Sundays  in  the  Andohalo  school- 
room furnished  similar  help.  By  common  consent  my 
colleague  was  installed  as  principal  chaplain  during  our 
visit :  and  his  wise  counsels  and  the  ripe  Christian  experi- 
ence embodied  in  his  discourses,  were  not  only  a  present 
help  and  pleasure,  but  will  be  long  remembered  now  that 
he  has  returned  home. 

We  all  felt  much  out  of  the  world  in  Madagascar.  To 


HOW  IT  STRIKES  A  STB  ANGER.  145 


the  great  world  which  we  had  left,  the  trade,  the  govern- 
ment, and  the  people  of  the  island,  are  linked  by  very 
slender  ties.  The  Malagasy  know  very  little  of  foreign 
lands  :  few  understand  the  English  language  and  the  con- 
dition and  affairs  of  England.  Those  who  have  been  to 
England  have  not  felt  free  to  tell  what  they  saw  :  in  former 
days  it  would  have  been  dangerous  to  tell  it :  for  to  depre- 
ciate Madagascar  by  showing  the  superiority  of  otherl 
countries  was  neither  more  nor  less  than  high  treason.! 
Knowledge  is  increasing  among  them;  the  pictures  and 
sketches  of  the  Illustrated  London  News  and  the  Graphic, 
are  teaching  them  many  things  :  and  the  monthly  periodi- 
cal, T4ny  Soa,  issued  by  the  Mission,  systematically  describes 
many  others.  Perhaps  it  is  well  that,  where  they  are  so 
far  behind  the  great  world,  the  knowledge  of  that  world 
should  not  be  brought  to  bear  upon  them  too  fast  or  too 
far.  The  mass  to  be  lifted  is  broad  and  heavy :  power 
may  well  be  applied  to  it  by  degrees  and  steadily :  it  is 
rising  now  and  will  be  lifted  more  rapidly  in  due  time. 

Meanwhile  the  vis  inertiae  around  them  exercises  a  most 
depressing  influence  on  the  English  community.  Its 
tendency  is  to  weary  out  the  efforts  of  the  enterprising,  to 
damp  the  spirits  of  the  cheerful,  and  to  produce  languor 
in  the  earnest.  We  could  not  but  notice  this  immediately 
when  we  arrived.  There  was  a  stillness  in  the  air  which 
was  in  strong  contrast  to  the  active  life  which  we  had  just 
quitted.  There  seemed  a  want  of  cohesion,  of  the  active 
co-operation,  which  we  naturally  looked  for.  The  diligent 
were  working  earnestly,  but  alone.  The  stillness  had 
doubtless  been  intensified  by  the  fact  that  the  mission 
were  waiting  for  those  final  rearrangements,  which  had 

K 


146  HOW  IT  STRIKES  A  STRANGER, 

been  in  preparation  for  some  time,  but  the  details  of  which 
had  yet  to  be  shaped  out  in  consultation  with  ourselves. 
We  also  felt  the  influence  of  the  quiet.  The  quick,  electric 
life  of  London,  in  politics,  in  scientific  discussion  and  re- 
ligious thought  was  gone.  We  had  only  one  mail  a  month, 
which  at  its  best  brought  us  a  limited  supply  of  news. 
Even  this  mail  was  irregular.  The  postmaster  at  Bourbon 
through  whose  hands  the  bulk  of  it  passes,  occasionally 
detained  the  mail  till  next  time ;  or  suddenly  began  charg- 
ing us  sixteen  shillings  postage  on  some  newspaper;  or  was 
guilty  of  other  vagaries  inscrutable  by  an  ordinary  mind. 
We  received  a  few  periodicals,  and  there  reached  us  indis- 
tinct echoes  of  parliamentary  discussions,  of  startling 
addresses  by  Huxley  or  Tyndall;  of  the  Indian  famine, 
and  of  the  revival  commencing  in  Scotland.  The  mail 
which  should  have  brought  us  intelligence  of  the  great 
break-up  of  the  Liberal  Party  and  the  election  of  the 
new  House  of  Commons,  never  came  at  all,  till  its 
successor  reached  us. 

Such  things  greatly  affect  the  English  communities 
abroad.  Who  can  wonder  that  as  years  go  by  they  fall 
somewhat  behind  the  age :  and  that  the  more  isolated  they 
are,  the  less  complete  is  their  knowledge  of  the  society 
which  they  quitted  and  their  sympathy  with  the  progress 
which  it  has  made.  This  is  a  point  to  which  the  attention 
of  English  missionaries  in  all  countries  should  be  carefully 
directed.  Their  function  and  their  work  are  of  the  loftiest 
kind.  They  are  the  sources  of  spiritual  power  to  tribes 
and  nations  destitute  of  it.  The  converts  and  their 
churches  look  to  them  for  counsel  and  instruction  in 
regard  to  things  present,  and  for  stimulus  and  suggestions 


HOW  IT  STRIKES  A  STRANGER. 


147 


in  respect  to  future  progress.  So  long  as  their  zeal  and 
self-denial  are  fresh,  their  enterprise  will  be  fresh  and 
spirited  also.  If  they  lack  spring  and  energy,  they  will 
fall  into  routine ;  their  watchfulness  will  give  place  to 
dullness  :  and  continued  advance  will  be  slow,  if  not  im- 
possible. I  used  to  feel  these  things  when  in  India :  and 
was  glad  that  in  a  city  like  Calcutta  the  external  aids  to 
the  maintenance  of  freshness  and  vigour  in  our  work  were 
numerous  and  powerful.  We  had  frequent  mails,  a  good 
supply  of  the  latest  English  literature,  discussions  in  the 
Calcutta  Missionary  Conference,  and  friendly  counsel  and 
co-operation  not  only  amongst  ourselves  but  in  the  dif- 
ferent Societies.  Such  aids  will  ever  be  of  high  value,  but 
the  greatest  help  of  all  will  be  found  in  a  continued  and 
lofty  self-consecration  to  that  high  aim  which  above  all 
men  on  earth  the  Christian  missionary  professes  to  follow  ; 
will  be  found  in  the  rule  "  One  thing  I  do,"  "  looking  unto 
Jesus,  the  author  and  the  finisher  of  faith." 

Shortly  after  our  return  from  Ambatovory,  in  the 
beginning  of  January,  it  was  arranged  that  a  General 
Conference  of  the  English  missionaries  should  be  held  in 
Antananarivo,  to  consider  the  present  position  and  needs 
of  their  missionary  work  in  the  island.  The  place  chosen 
for  the  meeting  was  the  Memorial  Church  at  Faravohitra  : 
and  it  was  impossible  not  to  associate  the  present  pros- 
perity of  the  mission  and  its  consequent  demands,  with 
the  uncompromising  fidelity  of  the  martyrs  from  which 
they  have  sprung.  Mr.  Pillans  and  I  took  the  deepest 
interest  in  all  the  details  of  that  great  day  of  suffering, 
which  the  Faravohitra  Church  specially  commemorates. 
We  heard  the  story  from  men  who  had  witnessed  the 


148 


HOW  IT  ST  BIKES  A  STRANGER. 


events :  we  trode  every  step  of  the  ground  which  the  feet 
of  the  sufferers  have  made  evermore  sacred :  and  from  the 
platform  on  which  the  church  stands,  every  spot  connected 
with  it  from  its  beginning  to  its  close  was  before  our  eyes. 
It  was  patiently  rehearsed  for  us :  the  crowded  assembly 
on  the  Analakely  plain  beneath :  the  booming  of  the 
cannon;  the  agitation  of  the  people:  the  sentence  pro- 
nounced by  the  judges  on  the  noble  four,  of  death  by  fire. 
There  (we  were  told)  they  mounted  the  red  clay  road, 
singing :  "  There  is  a  happy  land,  far,  far  away : "  here  they 
crossed  the  bare  granite  rock :  there  they  rounded  the  old 
tombs :  here  they  reached  the  weird,  waste  ground,  whereon 
the  brushwood  was  already  piled.  Around  them  were  the 
silent  crowd,  that  wondered  and  trembled  but  could  not 
understand  them.  We  stood  on  the  spot  where  they  died ; 
where  they  died  joyous,  triumphant,  singing  and  apparently 
without  pain.  In  the  first  meeting  of  the  Conference  we 
sang  their  dying  hymn:  a  hymn  which  is  now  used  as 
their  dismission-hymn  by  more  than  a  thousand  Christian 
congregations  in  Madagascar  every  Sabbath-day.  It  is 
always  sung  to  the  tune  Mariners. 

' '  Grant  us,  Saviour,  royal  blessings, 

Now  that  to  our  homes  we  go  ; 
Fill  our  hearts  and  lives  with  gladness, 

Make  us  love  divine  to  know  : 
Gladden  us  with  joys  of  heaven, 

In  this  desert  world  below. 

"  Thanks  we  give  Thee,  Holy  Spirit, 

Who  hast  taught  us  words  divine  : 
May  we  learn  the  holy  lesson, 

Let  Thy  face  upon  us  shine  : 
Dwell  in  us,  enlighten,  lead  us, 

Nothing  would  we  be  but  Thine. 


HOW  IT  STRIKES  A  STRANGER.  149 

"  And  when  earth  no  longer  keeps  us, 

When  shall  end  life's  little  day, 
Bear  us  to  the  upper  heaven, 

Father,  in  Thy  house  to  stay : 
Joy  unspeakable  our  portion, 

There,  for  ever  and  for  aye." 

The  Conference  commenced  its  sittings  on  Tuesday, 
January  13th,  and  with  a  brief  interval  sat  till  Thursday, 
the  2 2d.  There  were  present  during  those  sittings  some 
sixty  members,  including  the  missionaries  of  the  Friends' 
Association,  our  brethren  in  the  country  stations  of 
Imerina,  and  two  brethren  from  the  Betsileo.  One  half 
the  members  were  ladies,  who  took  much  interest  in  the 
discussions,  and  attended  the  meetings  with  great  re- 
gularity. The  daily  devotional  service  proved  very  plea- 
sant and  profitable  to  all.  The  harmony  that  prevailed 
was  delightful ;  the  discussions  were  active  and  lively : 
the  papers  read  were  full  of  information,  and  the  conclu- 
sions reached  were  all  but  unanimous. 

I  need  not  enter  into  detail  respecting  the  important 
questions  considered  during  this  Conference.  There  were 
six  points,  however,  lying  at  the  very  centre  of  the  present 
system  of  operations,  on  which  considerable  advance  was 
made,  to  which  I  must  make  brief  reference. 

a.  In  Education,  it  was  desired  that  the  Theological  In- 
stitution should  take  men  for  short  courses  as  well  as  the 
long,  full  course ;  that  it  should  be  enlarged  so  as  to  be  a 
"College"  for  general  instruction,  with  good  English 
classes;  and  that  the  best  congregational  schools  should 
teach  English  to  their  topmost  classes  in  order  to  feed  it. 
Great  anxiety  was  expressed  to  improve  the  congregational 
schools. 


150  HOW  IT  STRIKES  A  STRANGER. 


b.  It  was  resolved,  that  it  would  improve  Pastoral  and 
Episcopal  work,  to  concentrate  it  more  fully  at  certain 
points ;  to  establish  a  good  Central  Station  in  every  dis- 
trict, with  three  or  four  Sub-Centres :  that  it  would  be 
well  to  make  preaching  at  those  centres  more  full  and 
systematic  ;  and  to  have  Bible  Classes,  few  but  taught 
with  great  regularity. 

c.  New  districts  in  the  country  were  desired  on  all 
hands  :  and  that  the  men  appointed  to  them  should  leave 
the  capital  and  occupy  them  without  delay. 

d.  Great  anxiety  was  evinced  to  watch  over  the  admis- 
sion of  members  to  the  native  churches  ;  by  firm  discipline 
to  reduce  the  present  excessive  numbers  ;  to  enlighten  the 
churches  as  to  their  responsibilities ;  and  to  improve  the 
present  forms  of  worship. 

e.  While  desirous  to  secure  the  voluntary  gifts  and  will- 
ing service  of  the  churches,  as  hitherto,  the  Conference 
were  fully  of  opinion  that  the  local  gifts  are  not  sufficient, 
and  the  true  zealous  Christians  are  not  numerous  enough, 
to  sustain  the  well  trained  evangelists  and  native  mission- 
aries needful  for  the  mission  ;  and  that  additional  money 
help  is  needed  from  England,  to  be  employed  on  the 
healthy  conditions  laid  down  by  our  Directors. 

/.  All  were  anxious  that  the  mission  should  seriously 
take  up  new  work  at  definite  points  among  new  tribes,  as 
the  churches  also  need  an  outlet  for  their  zeal. 

There  yet  remained  to  apply  our  discussions  to  the  actual 
improvement  of  our  own  mission  in  detail.  Hence  natur- 
ally followed  a  District  Committee  Meeting,  which  with 
its  sub-committees,  sat  five  days.  The  meeting  was  a 
thoroughly  good  one  and  got  through  a  great  amount  of 


HOW  IT  STRIKES  A  STRANGER.  151 


solid  work.  The  brethren  in  many  respects  placed  the 
mission  in  Imerina  on  a  broader  basis  than  before ;  they 
adopted  some  important  principles  as  elements  of  the 
system  on  which  it  shall  be  instructed ;  and  they  agreed  so 
to  locate  themselves  in  country  stations,  as  both  to  spread 
their  iufluence  over  a  wider  area,  and  to  make  the  labours 
of  each  co-operate  with  the  efforts  of  all  around  him.  And 
now  that  the  Directors  in  London  have  carefully  reviewed, 
extended  and  confirmed  their  recommendations,  the  great 
purpose  had  in  view  in  the  recent  enlargement  of  the 
Madagascar  Mission,  and  the  fuller  scale  of  expenditure 
for  which  the  Society's  friends  made  provision,  will  speedily 
be  carried  into  effect. 

The  Conference  meetings  were  concluded  with  a  little 
entertainment  to  which  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pillans  and  myself 
invited  all  the  members.  It  was  held  in  the  Andohalo 
school-room  and  proved  a  great  success.  Tables,  tea-trays 
and  crockery  were  willingly  lent  on  every  hand ;  the  ladies 
of  the  various  missions  were  exceedingly  kind,  both  in 
superintending  previous  arrangements,  and  aiding  the  tea 
at  table :  our  English  stores  proved  most  serviceable  and 
popular.  In  addition  to  the  sixty  members  of  Conference, 
we  had  present  six  of  the  principal  officers  of  Government, 
and  seven  of  the  chief  native  ministers  :  we  were  seventy- 
eight  in  all.  After  our  little  feast  was  over,  we  had  some 
capital  speaking  and  some  good  singing,  for  about  three 
hours.  The  native  guests  liked  this  part  of  our  entertain- 
ment extremely ;  at  their  own  feasts  they  simply  eat  for  a 
couple  of  hours  or  so  and  then  go  home.  But  here  there 
was  much  cordial  fellowship ;  the  singing  was  inspiriting  ; 
the  speaking  dealt  with  lofty  topics  and  was  full  of  life 


152  HOW  IT  STRIKES  A  STRANGER. 

and  power :  they  were  quite  stirred  by  it  and  did  their 
own  part  well.  Eloquently  did  Andriambelo  contrast  the 
present  with  the  "  dark  days  "  gone  by.  And  heartily  did 
Bavonina'hitriniarivo  (the  head  of  one  of  the  recent  ex- 
peditions) express  his  thanks  to  their  friends  "over  the 
sea  "  for  the  great  things  which  they  had  done  for  Mada- 
gascar. 

Soon  after  these  consultations  an  event  occurred  which 
threw  strong  light  on  the  inner  life  of  the  people  generally 
and  on  the  religious  feelings  and  principles  lying  below  its 
surface.  After  long  waiting  there  arrived  in  the  capital  a 
consignment  of  the  reprint  of  the  Malagasy  Bible,  just 
prepared  by  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society.  It 
proved  a  neat,  handy  volume,  and  there  were  six  thousand 
copies.  Looking  at  the  value  attached  to  a  shilling  by  the 
Malagasy,  it  was  resolved  to  sell  the  Bible  for  that  sum. 
The  people  were  greatly  excited  by  the  news  of  its  arrival : 
the  Depository  was  besieged  by  applicants  from  the  Queen 
downwards :  and  in  a  fortnight  they  were  gone.  Mr. 
Grainge  felt  sure  that  if  he  had  had  six  thousand  more, 
every  copy  would  have  been  sold.  Many  of  these  Bibles 
were  purchased  by  people  in  the  capital  for  their  friends  in 
distant  parts  of  the  country. 

In  the  four  churches  erected  in  memory  of  the  Christian 
martyrs,  and  on  the  places  where  they  were  put  to  death, 
the  Directors  and  friends  of  the  Society  in  England  have 
taken  a  deep  interest.  In  that  interest  my  colleague  and 
I  heartily  shared,  and  it  was  a  peculiar  pleasure  to  us  to 
visit  these  buildings  and  to  hear  over  again  from  the  lips 
of  preachers  and  friends  the  story  of  the  fidelity  and  the 
suffering  of  which  they  are  a  memorial.   Our  first  Sabbath 


HOW  IT  STRIKES  A  STRANGER. 


153 


service  in  Antananarivo  was  in  the  Ambatonakanga  church 
in  the  centre  of  the  city.  We  joined  the  meetings  of  the 
Congregational  Union  of  Imerina  in  the  church  at  Ambo- 
hipotsy.  The  general  Conference  was  held  at  Faravohitra, 
And  we  were  privileged  to  share  in  the  opening  services  of 
the  church  at  Ampamarinana  which  was  completed  during 
our  visit.  All  these  buildings  are  of  stone ;  they  are  great 
ornaments  to  the  city ;  and  they  do  great  credit  to  the 
three  gentlemen  who  have  superintended  their  erection. 
They  are  much  admired  by  the  natives :  and  they  have 
exercised  a  most  powerful  influence  in  stimulating  those 
improvements  in  building,  which  have  distinguished  the 
city  during  the  last  ten  years.  A  fifth  Memorial  Church, 
which  will  render  the  list  complete  is  now  in  course  of 
erection.  The  Norwegian  Missionaries  have  also  erected  a 
large  church  near  Ambatonakanga,  with  a  highly  original 
spire.  But  these  are  not  the  only  churches  of  importance 
in  the  city.  So  far  as  the  congiegations  are  concerned 
there  are  five  other  churches  whose  members  are  as  nume- 
rous and  influential  as  these :  while  in  the  immediate  sub- 
urbs some  five  or  six  more  exist,  whose  congregations  are 
large.  Including  the  Eoyal  Chapel  in  which  there  is  now 
a  fully  organised  Christian  Church,  there  are  not  less  than  . 
sixteen  churches  in  the  city,  which  have  sprung  from  the 
Mission  and  gather  large  congregations  of  sincere  and 
faithful  worshippers  every  Sabbath-day.  All  the  principal 
families  of  the  Imerina  province  are  directly  or  indirectly 
connected  with  them :  while  others  will  be  found  in  the  ' 
churches  of  JSamehana,  Ambohimanga,  Ambatomanga,  and 
other  flourishing  towns  :  and  there  are  two  congregations 
even  in  the  old  idol  town  of  Ambohimanambola.  None 


154 


HOW  IT  STRIKES  A  STRANGER. 


can  look  upon  the  great  transformation  which  the  city  and 
province  have  undergone  in  recent  years  without  exclaim- 
ing "  What  hath  God  wrought  ? " 

The  fourth  Memorial  Church  was  opened  (as  I  have  said) 
during  our  visit :  and  we  held  it  a  high  privilege  to  share 
in  the  public  services  held  upon  the  occasion.  The  28th 
of  March  1874,  was  the  twenty-fifth  anniversary  of  the 
terrible  occasion  on  which  the  four  nobles  had  been  burned 
at  Faravohitra,  and  fourteen  others  had  been  thrown  over 
the  cliffs  of  Ampamarinana :  and  it  was  resolved  formally 
to  open  the  church  at  the  latter  spot  and  dedicate  it  to 
purposes  of  public  worship  on  that  day.  The  church 
which,  with  the  rocks  beneath,  appears  in  the  frontispiece, 
is  a  handsome  building  ;  the  campanile  tower  stands  well 
out  at  the  north-east  corner,  and  the  wheel  windows  with 
their  stained  glass  add  much  to  the  beauty  of  the  interior. 
Large  congregations  gathered  to  the  services  both  on  the 
Saturday  and  on  the  following  day :  and  the  people  mani- 
fested the  deepest  interest  in  them.  Indeed  on  the  Sunday 
afternoon  the  church  was  crowded  to  its  utmost.  Many 
members  of  the  martyrs'  families  were  present.  Others  were 
there  who  had  seen  them  carried  along  the  road.  One  was 
present  who  had  officially  shared  in  their  condemnation. 
These  faithful  witnesses  whom  nothing  daunted,  whose 
peace  nothing  could  disturb,  occupied  the  first  place  in 
every  one's  thought;  and  their  fidelity,  their  patient  endur- 
ance, the  uses  of  suffering  and  God's  blessing  on  faithful- 
ness were  the  topics  made  specially  prominent  in  our 
addresses,  hymns  and  prayers. 

The  treatment  of  the  matter  in  these  public  services  re- 
quired care:  and  the  members  of  the  ruling  family  had 


HOW  IT  STRIKES  A  STRANGE  E. 


155 


many  fears  respecting  it.  The  Queen  is  a  Christian :  the 
principal  nobles  are  Christians  :  they  could  not  but  admire 
with  us  the  principle  and  the  faith  of  the  sufferers  whose 
death  that  day  brought  to  mind.  But  the  persecutor, 
through  whose  stern  attachment  to  the  national  idols  the 
martyrs  had  lost  their  lives,  was  the  present  Queen's  aunt, 
and  was  her  predecessor  on  a  throne,  whose  edicts  have 
always  been  regarded  by  the  Malagasy  with  profound 
respect.  It  could  not  but  be  painful  to  the  Queen  to  hear 
that  anything  hard  or  harsh  was  spoken  of  her  aunt,  even 
on  so  sacred  a  matter  as  this.  We  felt  the  difficulty :  and 
from  the  high  regard  in  which  the  Queen  and  those  around 
her  are  held,  it  was  agreed  that  scarcely  any  reference 
should  be  made  to  the  chief  mover  in  the  sorrows  of  the 
past :  but  that  we  should  dwell  prominently  if  not  exclu- 
sively upon  the  martyrs  themselves.  The  course  pursued 
was  privately  reported  to  the  authorities  by  some  who 
were  present  at  the  services :  and  evidently  gave  them 
satisfaction.  So  great  is  the  revolution  in  the  nation,  so 
completely  has  the  rule  of  the  idols  and  diviners  passed 
away,  that  the  injustice  and  the  mistakes  of  the  wrong- 
doers may  well  be  forgotten  and  forgiven.  As  if  to  teach 
us  this  lesson,  during  the  last  few  years,  the  rocks  over 
which  the  sufferers  were  thrown,  have  been  thickly  over- 
grown with  dense  masses  of  the  prickly  pear  cactus.  And 
while  their  ashes  rest  in  peace  under  the  shadow  of  the 
Memorial  Church,  and  the  grass  is  green  upon  their  grave, 
myriads  of  scarlet  flowers  bloom  above  the  rocks  once 
stained  with  their  blood,  and  cover  them  with  a  mantle  of 
beauty  fresh  from  the  hand  of  God. 


CHAPTEE  VI. 


THE  LAND  AND  THE  PEOPLE  OF  MADAGASCAR. 

The  East  Coast  of  the  Island — The  West  Coast — Travels  of  M.  Grandidier 
— Maps  of  Madagascar — Mr.  Cameron's  Survey — Additions  made  by 
us — Size  of  Madagascar — The  Mountain-mass  along  its  centre — Ter- 
races on  all  sides — The  Malagasy  people  a  single  race — Their  Three 
Tribes  and  their  Sub-divisions — The  Malagasy  not  an  African  race — 
Their  Malay  origin — Evidence  supplied  by  their  Language — New 
Words  from  Arabic,  French  and  English — Reference  to  Madagascar 
by  Marco  Paolo — Early  Navigation  of  the  Eastern  Seas  very  exten- 
sive— Phoenician,  Hindu,  Chinese  and  Malay — Madagascar  colonised 
by  Malays — Three  independent  Movements — Traditions  of  the  Hovas — 
Their  Arrival  in  Imerina — Conquest  of  the  Vazimba — Increase  in 
Imerina — Their  recent  History — Ralambo  and  his  Descendants — 
Impoin  and  his  consolidation  of  the  Kingdom — Radama — State  of  the 
Country,  of  Social  Life  and  of  the  Sakalava  Tribes  in  his  day — The 
people  still  a  federation  of  tribes — Their  Institutions — Their  steady 
growth  in  Civilisation,  as  well  as  in  Religious  Character, 


CHAPTER  VI. 


THE  LAND  AND  THE  PEOPLE  OF  MADAGASCAR. 

Comparatively  little  has  hitherto  been  written  on  the 
geography  of  Madagascar.  French  travellers  and  English 
officers,  as  well  as  missionaries,  have  landed  on  the  east 
coast  and  have  journeyed  np  to  the  Capital:  and  the 
character  of  the  country  along  their  route  has  been  fully 
and  frequently  described.  The  eastern  coast  of  the  island 
has  hitherto  been  better  known  to  us  than  any  other  por- 
tion. The  splendid  Bay  of  Diego  Suarez;  the  wooded 
promontory  on  the  east  of  Antongil  Bay;  the  colony  of 
Benyowsky  and  the  Isle  of  Ste.  Marie ;  Foule  Point  and 
Tamatave ;  the  lake  of  "Nosibe"  and  the  lagoons  which  fol- 
low it ;  Andevoranto  and  Mahanoro  and  Mananzara ;  the 
limestone  cliffs  of  Anosy,  the  rich  vale  of  Ambolo,  and 
the  settlement  of  Port  Dauphin;  these  are  the  points 
referred  to  by  successive  writers  from  Flacourt  downwards  : 
and  all  that  needs  to  be  said  about  them  will  be  found 
carefully  compiled  in  Ellis's  History  of  Madagascar,  written 
nearly  forty  years  ago. 

Of  the  western  part  of  Madagascar  we  know  very  little  ; 
though  from  the  breadth  and  richness  of  its  provinces  we 
should  like  to  know  a  great  deal.    Mr.  Boothby  in  the 


160 


THE  LAND  AND  THE 


time  of  Charles  I.  and  Drury,  in  the  days  of  Queen  Anne, 
give  us  information  respecting  St.  Augustine's  Bay.  Cap- 
tain Owen  and  the  officers  of  the  English  navy,  who  in 
1824  laid  down  so  much  of  the  coast  line,  have  dwelt  upon 
the  great  harbours  of  the  north-west.  To  M.  Guillain  we 
are  indebted  for  information  respecting  the  same  quarter, 
the  island  of  Nosibe,  the  Hova  settlements  near  Pasandava 
Bay,  the  town  and  port  of  Mojanga,  and  the  Sakalava  dis- 
tricts as  far  as  Morondava ;  and  we  owe  much  to  Mr. 
Lyons  Macleod,  formerly  Consul  at  Mozambique,  and  still 
more  to  Mr.  Ellis's  History,  for  giving  us  a  summary  of 
this  information.  During  his  visits  to  the  island,  Mr. 
Ellis  scarcely  touched  the  question  of  its  geography ;  he 
took  no  observations  and  prepared  no  maps :  though  to 
the  botany  of  the  island  and  to  the  facts  connected  with 
the  moral  condition  of  the  people  he  added  greatly. 

The  traveller  who  has  seen  most  of  Madagascar  previous 
to  our  visit  is  M.  Grandidier.  This  gentleman  spent 
several  years  in  the  island  between  1865  and  1870;  and 
devoted  much  time  and  strength  to  the  examination  of 
several  of  its  districts.  He  lived  for  a  considerable  time 
on  the  north-  east  and  the  west  coasts :  he  travelled  up 
from  Mojanga  to  the  Capital ;  crossed  the  island  through 
the  Betsileo  province;  and  visited  the  almost  unknown 
district  of  the  Sihanaka  tribe.  His  observations  have  not 
yet  been  given  to  the  world;  he  has  read  to  the  Geo- 
graphical Society  of  Paris,  and  has  published,  a  sketch  of 
his  travels  ;  and  has  published  a  general  map  of  the  island 
on  a  moderate  scale,  far  more  correct  than  anything  which 
has  preceded  it.  But  the  geographical  world  yet  waits  for 
the  complete  story,  which  he  promises  them  in  ten  or 


PEOPLE  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


161 


twelve  volumes.  He  was  well  known  to  our  missionaries 
and  respected  by  them. 

All  recent  maps  of  Madagascar  (except  Grandidier's)  are 
traceable  to  two  sources.  The  coast  line  was  laid  down  by 
Capt.  Owen  and  his  companions  in  1824  The  detail  of 
the  interior  is  derived  from  the  map  of  Colonel  Lloyd, 
published  in  1849  by  Mr.  Arrowsmith:  and  Colonel  Lloyd's 
memoir  on  the  geography  of  the  island  will  be  found  in 
vol.  xx.  of  the  Royal  Geographical  Society's  Journal.  In 
regard  to  this  map  Colonel  Lloyd  says :  "  The  coast  line 
may  be  depended  on  as  tolerably  exact,  having  been  re- 
duced from  the  various  nautical  surveys.  For  the  detail 
of  the  interior  I  cannot  claim  the  slightest  pretensions  to 
correctness.  It  is  only  an  attempt  to  form  approximately 
some  foundation  for  future  inquiries,  and  more  correct  and 
extensive  research."  Notwithstanding  this  frank  disclaimer, 
editors  and  writers  have  gone  on  copying  this  map  down 
to  the  present  time. 

In  this  important  matter  I  have  felt  personally  interested 
for  several  years.  Anxious  at  one  time  to  provide  for  the 
Directors  a  good  map  of  the  interior,  we  found  that  exact 
details  were  wanting.  We  knew  the  names  of  prominent 
mountains,  rivers  and  stations,  but  where  to  place  them  no 
one  could  say.  The  Directors  then  applied  to  our  mission- 
aries in  the  island:  and  several  excellent  journals  and 
sketch  maps  were  communicated  in  reply.  The  principal 
contribution  to  our  effort  was  this.  Mr.  Cameron  the 
senior  member  of  the  mission,  after  carefully  fixing  the 
position  of  Antananarivo,  commenced  a  triangulation  of 
the  plain  of  Imerina :  and  step  by  step  prepared  a  most 
valuable  map  of  those  portions  of  the  province  contiguous 

L 


162 


THE  LAND  AND  THE 


to  the  capital :  the  defect  of  the  map  was,  that  though  it 
indicated  the  chief  positions,  it  did  not  exhibit  the  form 
and  height  of  the  ground. 

Aware  that  part  of  our  duty  would  require  us  to  visit 
the  whole  of  the  central  portions  of  the  island,  my  colleague 
and  I  prepared  to  take  advantage  of  our  opportunities  and 
add  something  at  least  to  the  knowledge  of  these  provinces 
possessed  by  the  geographical  world.  We  carried  out  our 
purpose  under  the  happiest  auspices.  We  were  everywhere 
received  as  friends.  We  invariably  informed  the  Prime 
Minister  of  our  movements  and  proceedings ;  we  were  at 
liberty  to  go  where  we  liked,  and  we  experienced  nothing 
but  hospitality  and  kindness.  By  special  permission  we 
photographed  the  Queen's  Palace  and  the  Eoyal  tombs;  we 
planted  our  theodolite,  compass  and  tripods  on  the  tops  of 
hills  and  in  the  open  markets ;  and  we  let  every  one  know 
that  we  were  anxious  to  make  a  correct  map  of  the  country 
for  their  use  as  well  as  ours. 

In  the  first  instance  we  worked  on  Mr.  Cameron's  lines. 
We  went  over  a  great  portion  of  his  work ;  revised  it  from 
our  own  observations ;  and  extended  it  in  all  directions. 
To  the  north-west  we  laid  down  Vonizongo  as  far  as  the 
population  extends.  West  and  south-west  we  carried  the 
survey  to  Ambohiveloma ;  over  all  Imamo,  to  Lake  Itasy 
and  the  districts  of  Mandridrano  and  Menabe\  Thence  we 
passed  it  through  Betafo  and  Sirabe  :  enclosed  the  Ankarat 
mountains  within  it  and  measured  their  height.  With  Mr. 
Cameron  himself,  as  I  have  already  shown,  we  continued 
the  survey  down  the  Betsileo  Province  to  its  southern  end. 
Eastward  we  laid  down  Angavo,  the  moors  of  Ambatomena, 
the  plain  of  Ankay,  and  the  Sihanaka  Lakes.    And  finally 


PEOPLE  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


163 


by  a  route  lying  west  of  that  taken  by  M.  Grandidier,  we 
went  down  to  the  sea  at  Mojanga.  The  work  proved  most 
enjoyable.  We  followed  up  the  country  step  by  step, 
greatly  aided  by  the  numerous  conspicuous  hills,  with 
whose  names  and  appearance  we  soon  grew  perfectly  fami- 
liar. The  Map  which  accompanies  this  little  volume  is 
one  result  of  our  work :  and  the  red  lines  which  mark  our 
routes  upon  it  will  show  how  fully  we  traversed  the  country 
and  how  much  of  it  we  saw  with  our  own  eyes. 

Much  of  the  information  acquired  in  our  journeys  will 
be  found  in  the  several  chapters  which  describe  them,  and 
which  the  various  sections  of  the  map  are  intended  to 
illustrate.  It  will  suffice  therefore  here  to  indicate  the 
general  structure  and  character  of  the  island.  The  navy- 
surveys  show  that  the  island  of  Madagascar  has  a  length 
of  818  geographical  miles,  measuring  from  Cape  Ambro  on 
the  north  to  Cape  St.  Mary's  on  the  south.  The  position 
of  the  former  is  in  lat.  12°  2'  S. :  .  that  of  the  latter  is  lat. 
25°  40'  S.  The  greatest  breadth  of  the  island  from  Cape 
St.  Andrew  to  Tamatave  is  3iB  miles :  the  longitudes  of 
these  two  points  being,  long.  44°  30'  E.  and  long.  49°  28' 
30"  E.  respectively.  These  longitudes  have  been  fixed  by 
reference  to  the  Observatory  in  Cape  Town.  The  island 
is  a  long  oval,  pointed  at  the  northern  end ;  and  its  major 
axis  lies  in  the  direction  of  N.  16°  E.  While  a  crevasse 
and  channel  of  great  depth  separate  it  from  the  continent 
of  Africa,  the  Farquhar  Islands,  at  its  north  end,  the 
Sechelles  with  their  red  clay,  and  the  coral  reefs  in  the 
Indian  Ocean  seem  to  me  to  connect  its  granite  hills  with 
the  Laccadive  and  Maldive  Islands  and  with  the  mighty 
forces  which  in  Southern  India  threw  into  their  present 


164 


THE  LAND  AND  THE 


position  the  Nilgiri  and  Kunda  hills.  The  island  was 
probably  the  noblest  portion  of  some  great  continent  which 
stretched  away  from  Hindustan  to  the  south-west;  and 
which  shared  in  the  tropical  flora  and  fauna  of  India  in  an 
early  stage  of  the  earth's  history,  and  was  separated  from 
it  while  both  were  still  young. 

The  chief  physical  feature  of  Madagascar  is  the  central 
mountain  mass,  which  commences  with  lofty  mountains  at 
the  north  end  of  the  island,  and  retains  them  till  within  a 
moderate  distance  of  its  southern  cape.  The  entire  central 
line  is  high  ground  and  only  its  two  sides  are  level  plains 
along  the  east  and  west  sea  coasts.  The  central  mass  is 
by  no  means  uniform  in  its  appearance.  We  have  already 
shown  how,  on  ascending  to  the  interior  from  the  east 
coast,  the  traveller  meets  and  successively  mounts  three 
lofty  mountain  walls,  each  supporting  a  broad  terrace  be- 
hind it.  The  first  of  these,  west  of  Ampasimbe,  rises  900 
feet:  beyond  Beforona,  the  second  terrace  is  1400  feet 
higher:  the  third  ascent  at  Angavo  carried  us  up  1620 
feet  on  to  the  highest  part  of  the  Imerina  plain.  The 
central  plateau  has  a  general  height  of  4000  feet :  at  its 
widest  part  it  is  ninety  miles  in  width ;  in  the  narrowest 
it  is  about  thirty  miles.  This  plateau  is  somewhat  over 
two  hundred  geographical  miles  in  length.  It  abounds  in 
ridges  and  detached  hills  of  gneiss  and  granite,  which  give 
wonderful  variety  to  the  scenery ;  and  at  several  points 
these  rocks  spread  out  in  wide,  lofty  and  barren  moors. 
The  rugged  ridges  enclose  broad  basins  of  the  sedimentary 
clay,  and  the  numerous  streams  of  pure  water  furnish 
abundant  sustenance  for  the  rice  crops,  which  form  the 
principal  food  of  the  people.     As  this  central  level  is 


PEOPLE  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


1G5 


reached,  by  great  terraces  from  the  east,  so  on  the  north, 
south  and  west,  the  traveller  descends  from  it  on  to  other 
terraces,  going  gradually  lower  and  lower,  until  he  reaches 
the  level  of  the  sea.  It  was  a  matter  of  deep  interest  to 
Mr.  Pillans  and  myself  that  we  descended  on  to  the  first 
terrace  at  several  points  ;  at  Ambohimandroso,  beyond 
Lake  Itasy,  and  in  the  valley  of  Ankay,  before  we  finally 
followed  down  the  entire  series  of  steps  on  our  way  to 
Mojanga.  The  fact  that'  to  so  large  an  extent  the  island 
consists  of  red  clay,  and  appears  to  have  been  at  some 
time  perfectly  buried  in  it,  accounts  for  the  peculiar  form 
of  its  terraces  and  of  the  basins  which  they  sustain.  The 
enormous  volcanic  forces  hereafter  to  be  described  may 
have  been  required  to  break  the  granite  rocks  and  render 
them  available  for  the  use  of  men >:  but  water  has  exerted 
a  mighty  agency  likewise  on  the  island  :  and  whether  by 
rains  or  streams  or  waterspouts,  in  the  bursting  of  lakes  or 
by  gentle  showers,  during  long,  long  ages  it  has  been 
ploughing  and  moulding  and  shaping  the  land,  and  it  is 
moulding  and  shaping  and  beautifying  it  still. 

The  Malagasy  people  who  inhabit  the  island  appear  to 
be  a  single  race,  notwithstanding  some  tradition  about 
"  dwarfs."  Nowhere  do  we  find  any  tribe  or  clan  or  race 
in  any  secluded  corner  of  the  land,  (such  as  we  meet  with 
in  the  hill  districts  of  India,  of  Sumatra  and  Borneo), 
totally  different  from  the  inhabitants  of  the  plains  or  open 
provinces.  Nor  do  we  meet  with  any  portion  of  the  people 
specially  degraded  below  their  fellows  as  a  conquered  and 
despised  race.  So  far  as  known  the  people  of  the  entire 
island  are  in  most  respects  similar  to  one  another;  and 
sixty  years  ago  they  stood  more  on  a  common  level  than 


163 


THE  LAND  AND  THE 


they  do  now.  The  main  differences  at  present  existing  be- 
tween one  portion  and  another  are  the  result  of  Christian 
education  and  of  compact,  just  and  settled  government. 

There  is  undoubtedly  one  distinction  which  may  be 
drawn  among  the  Malagasy ;  they  may  be  divided  into  the 
dark  and  fair  tribes.  From  the  first  writers  on  Madagascar 
have  referred  to  this  difference  between  them.  But  in  the 
face  of  important  points  of  agreement  I  think  too  much 
has  been  made  of  it.  It  is  well  known  to  residents  in 
India,  that  low,  hot,  saline  and  malarious  districts  tend  to 
darken  the  olive  complexion;  while  dry,  open,  cooler  plains, 
tend  to  bleach  it  and  render  it  fair.  Now  it  is  the  coast 
tribes  of  Madagascar,  inhabiting  the  hot,  feverish  pro- 
vinces, which  have  the  dark  skin :  while  those  which 
occupy  the  central  plateau  with  its  bracing  air,  are,  in 
general,  fair.  Other  considerations  must  be  looked  to  : 
and  I  find  them  in  the  dialects  spoken ;  and  in  the  course 
taken  by  the  movements  and  migration  of  the  tribes  as 
they  gradually  occupied  the  island.  In  regard  to  these 
matters  several  mistakes  have  been  made  by  various 
writers. 

Judging  from  the  movements  of  the  tribes  and  from 
their  present  relations  to  one  another,  it  seems  to  me  that 
the  Malagasy  are  divided  into  three  tribes,  starting  from 
different  centres,  and  inhabiting  separate  districts.  The 
Betsimisaraka  tribe  and  its  offshoots  occupy  the  east  coast 
and  its  two  lower  terraces.  The  Sakalavas  hold  the 
broad  plains  of  the  west  coast  in  all  its  length,  and  over- 
lap the  upper  extremity  of  the  north-east  coast.  The 
Hovas  and  their  branches  inhabit  the  entire  central 
plateau,  and  the  flanks  of  its  southern  extremity. 


PEOPLE  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


167 


The  Betsimisarakas  include  the  Sihanakas,  the  people  of 
Ankay,  and  (I  think  also)  the  Tanalas,  all  on  the  higher 
terrace  between  the  lines  of  forest.  These  upper  divisions 
of  the  tribe  have  separate  names  ;  but  they  are  merely  ex- 
pressive of  the  localities  to  which  the  people  have  migrated. 
The  Betanimenas  are  those  who  occupy  the  "  districts  of  red 
clay."  The  Tanalas  are  the  people  of  "the  forest  districts." 
The  Tankays  live  "  in  Ankay,"  the  "  open  land  " ;  not  con- 
cealed by  or  broken  by  long  hills.  The  Sihanakas  are  (as 
we  shall  see)  "  the  people  of  the  lakes."  In  no  part  of  the 
country  occupied  by  this  tribe  is  the  population  concen- 
trated and  numerous  :  all  their  districts  are  thinly  peopled. 
Important  mistakes  have  been  made  in  regard  to  these 
subdivisions.  Both  the  Sihanakas  and  the  Bezanozano  of 
Ankay  have  been  described  as  Sakalavas.  But  a  visit  to 
the  districts  which  they  inhabit  shows  at  once  that  with 
the  Sakalavas  they  have  nothing  to  do.  They  are  shut  off 
from  the  latter  by  all  but  impassable  mountains.  They 
are  Betsimisarakas  in  their  houses,  their  dialects,  and  the 
dressing  of  their  hair  :  and  an  examination  of  the  country 
plainly  indicates  the  points  on  the  east  coast,  from  which 
their  people  started.  In  regard  to  the  still  greater  error  of 
regarding  the  entire  Betsimisaraka  people  as  half-breed 
Arabs,  there  is  even  less  to  be  said.  The  statement  must 
have  originated  in  some  mistake.  It  might  apply  to  a  few 
people  in  and  around  the  Arab  colony  of  St.  Mary's ;  but 
it  is  wholly  inapplicable  to  the  entire  people  of  the  east 
coast. 

The  Sakalavas  are  also  divided  into  tribes  :  but  there  is 
little  cohesion  amongst  them ;  they  live  separate  from  one 
another,  and  have  frequent  petty  wars.    Their  numbers 


170 


THE  LAND  AND  THE 


African  colonists :  much  less  can  the  entire  Malagasy  people 
be  identified  with  such  a  tribe.  On  the  contrary  the  three 
great  divisions  of  the  Malagasy  hold  together ;  embrace 
almost  the  entire  island ;  and  their  language  and  tribal 
customs  suggest  a  totally  different  direction  as  to  their 
origin. 

In  illustration  of  this  unity  of  the  races  now  occupying 
Madagascar,  I  have  noted  with  interest  that  the  names 
given  to  localities  in  all  parts  of  the  island,  Sakalava, 
Betsimisaraka  and  Hova  are  of  the  same  character ;  and 
are  plainly  derived  from  the  present  Malagasy  language. 
Many  of  the  Sakalava  names  are  distinctly  Hova.  Off 
the  north-west  coast  we  find  Nosibe,  "  big  island,"  ISTosi- 
komba,  "  monkey  island,"  and  Nosifaly,  "  glad  island  ;"  we 
have  Ampasimena,  "red  sand  village;"  Marolahy,  "the 
village  of  princes,"  and  Andranomalaza,  "  famous  water." 
We  have  Marovoay,  with  its  "  many  crocodiles,"  Mojanga 
"  the  restorer  of  health,"  and  Mevatanana  "  good  place  for 
a  town."  On  the  west  coast  we  have  Maintirano,  "  the 
black  river,"  Mafandrano,  "hot  springs,"  and  Mamirano 
" sweet  waters."  We  have  one  town,  Manandaza  "the 
glorious,"  and  another,  Malaimbandy  "the  place  of  in- 
dolent lies."  We  have  Fierenana  in  Vonizongo  and  on 
the  Sakalava  coast.  We  have  the  pass  of  Ambodifiakarana 
among  the  limestone  ridges  of  the  Sakalavas,  and  under 
the  granite  moors  on  the  Mania.  Hundreds  of  names  are 
scattered  over  the  east  and  west  coasts,  bearing  a  striking 
similarity  to  those  of  the  interior,  and  applied  as  fittingly 
to  the  places  which  they  indicate.  The  names  and  the 
people  are  evidently  one. 

Baron  Humboldt,  the  linguist,  long  since  detected  the 


PEOPLE  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


Malay  element  in  their  language.  Other  writers  have 
followed  him.  And  the  more  attentively  and  completely 
the  subject  is  examined  the  stronger  will  the  evidence  of 
that  origin  appear.  Unhappily  such  a  complete  examina- 
tion has  not  yet  been  made.  Malay  scholars  have  but 
partially  understood  Malagasy :  and  Malagasy  scholars 
have  looked  but  little  into  Malay.  And  we  know  scarcely 
more  than  was  written  by  the  Rev.  J.  J.  Freeman,  forty 
years  ago.  Yet  the  materials  are  beginning  to  accumulate 
out  of  which  the  comparison  may  be  made  in  full  detail. 
Besides  Marsden's  Grammar  and  Dictionary,  in  Crawford's 
Malay  Grammar,  in  Wallace's  Eastern  Archipelago,  in  the 
Appendix  of  Dr.  Turner's  "  Nineteen  Years  in  Polynesia," 
there  are  lists  of  words  and  idioms  in  the  Malay  and  its 
cognate  dialects,  Samoan,  Maori  and  Tahitian,  available  for 
the  discussion  of  the  question  :  and  ere  long  we  may  hope 
to  see  it  undertaken  thoroughly.  I  have  no  pretensions  to 
a  knowledge  of  either  tongue.  But  it  happens  that  during 
my  visit  to  Madagascar  unpublished  papers  from  com- 
petent men  came  into  my  hands,  and  I  will  venture  to  give 
a  few  illustrations  which  they  furnish  of  the  connection 
between  the  two  languages.  Mr.  Freeman  observes  with 
interest  that  it  is  the  Betsimisaraka  edition  of  Malagasy 
which  comes  nearest  to  the  Malay ;  and  it  is  the  Malaya 
branch  of  the  language,  rather  than  Javanese  or  Bali,  which 
comes  closest  to  Malagasy.  Here  is  a  simple  list  of  twenty 
words. 

English.  Malay.  Malagasy. 

crocodile     .    .    .       buaya   voaya.  * 

bone   tulang,    ....       taolang.  (Bets. 

*  The  o  in  Malagasy  is  pronounced  like  the  Italian  u.  This  arrange- 
ment was  a  fatal  mistake  ia  the  early  writers  of  the  language  :  and 


168 


THE  LAND  AND  THE 


cannot  be  great,  though  they  occupy  a  large  tract  of  rich 
tropical  country,  which  under  a  settled  government  and  in 
diligent  hands  would  yield  vast  quantities  of  produce. 
They  have  for  ages  been  at  feud  with  their  Hova  neigh- 
bours, ever  ready  to  carry  off  their  cattle  and  plunder  their 
farmsteads  and  fields.  The  name  they  bear,  "  the  tall  cats," 
is  a  complimentary  title  given  by  their  Hova  foes,  who 
have  found  them  as  fierce  and  formidable  with  the  ancient 
weapons  as  any  wild  cat  to  be  met  with  in  the  woods. 
The  Sakalavas  have  not  been  slow  to  return  the  com- 
pliment;  and  they  contemptuously  style  the  Hovas  arnboa- 
Idmbo,  a  mixture  of  the  dog  and  the  boar,  "  a  set  of 
vagabonds." 

The  Hovas  proper  now  occupy  all  the  northern  portion 
of  the  central  plateau,  whether  Vonizongo,  Imamo  or  other 
districts.  And  though  at  one  time  it  was  usual  to  describe 
their  province  as  Ankova,  in  recent  days  the  tendency  has 
been  to  drop  this  term  altogether,  and  to  call  the  entire 
Hova  country,  Imeeixa.  The  Betsileo  tribe  are  without 
doubt  of  the  same  blood  as  the  Hovas.  The  Ibara  tribe, 
who  live  south  and  west  of  the  Betsileo,  are  (as  I  have 
shown)  kindred  to  the  Betsileo.  Each  of  these  sections  of 
the  central  population  has  grown  numerous,  has  had  its 
separate  interests,  and  has  been  at  feud  with  its  fellows. 
Nevertheless  many  similarities  of  language,  dress,  customs 
and  manners  exist  between  them.  And  the  differences  are 
no  greater  than  those  which  divide  them  from  the  other 
tribes  of  the  island.  Politically  these  tribes  are  drawing 
nearer  to  each  other  under  Hova  rule ;  and  these  similari- 
ties will  be  increased  and  developed  rather  than  re- 
pressed. 


PEOPLE  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


1G9 


In  the  important  inquiry  whence  the  Malagasy  have 
come  and  with  what  other  branches  of  the  human  race 
they  are  connected,  the  evidence  supplied  by  their  lan- 
guage is  of  the  first  importance.  Naturally  it  might  have 
been  expected  that  living  so  near  to  the  continent  of 
Africa,  they  would  be  connected  with  the  African  tribes ; 
or  at  least  that  some  of  their  settlements  would  have  been 
founded  by  African  colonists.  And  among  scholars  there 
have  not  been  wanting  those  who  have  argued  warmly 
that  they  are  substantially  an  African  people.  The  views 
of  the  late  Mr.  Crawford  on  this  point  are  well  known. 
He  argued  that  the  Malagasy  are  substantially  a  negrillo 
race ;  with  woolly  hair,  African  blood  and  an  inability  to 
form  an  alphabet :  that  Malay  pirates,  blown  away  from 
the  eastward,  had  mingled  with  them  and  left  their  mark 
upon  the  language ;  and  so  on.  He  has  been  followed  by 
Mr.  Wake  and  others  in  recent  days. 

Even  on  theory  it  might  have  been  objected  that  the 
African  tribes  are  not  navigators,  and  that  the  Mozambique 
channel  with  its  strong  currents  and  stronger  south-east 
winds  must  have  been,  as  it  still  is,  a  formidable  barrier 
against  intercourse  between  these  tribes  and  Madagascar. 
But  in  point  of  fact  there  is  no  tribe  on  the  island  (so  far 
as  it  has  yet  been  examined)  which  can  be  shown  to  be 
substantially  African,  in  its  language,  its  features,  its 
habits,  its  relations  to  its  neighbours.  There  are  pure 
Africans  in  abundance  (as  wre  shall  see)  scattered  about  in 
certain  districts  on  the  west,  imported  through  the  Arab 
slave  trade.  And  that  African  element  has  tainted  the 
original  Malagasy  race.  But  no  original  and  distinct  tribe 
on  the  island  has  yet  been  pointed  out  as  long  settled 


172 


THE  LAND  AND  THE 


English. 

Malay. 

Malagasy. 

%  .... 

lalat  .... 

lalitra. 

fruit  .... 

bua  .... 

vda. 

ground  .    .  . 

tanah  .    .    .    .  ' 

tany. 

grow 

tamboh     .     .  . 

mi-tombo. 

hand     .    .  . 

tangan      .    .  . 

tangana.  (Bets. 

heaven .    .  . 

langit  .... 

langitra.  (Bets. 

hang     .    .  . 

gantong    .    .  . 

mi-hantona. 

fear      .    .  . 

takut  .... 

tahotra. 

moon    .    .  . 

bolan  .... 

vdlana. 

stone 

Mtu  .... 

v£to. 

year .... 

tahun  .... 

taona. 

spirits  .  . 

tuaka  .... 

toaka. 

mosquito   .  . 

nya-m6k  .    .  . 

m6ka. 

two  .... 

dtia  .... 

r<5a. 

four  .... 

ampat  .... 

e"fat-ra. 

six  ...  . 

anam  .... 

e*nina. 

ten  .... 

sa-puloh   .    .  . 

folo. 

twenty  . 

dua-puloh     .  . 

roa-polo. 

thousand  . 

sa-riba  .... 

arivo. 

In  their  structure  and  government  the  two  languages 
resemble  one  another :  but  the  Malay  seems  a  less  formed 
and  complete  tongue  than  the  Malagasy.  Both  languages 
have  the  inclusive  and  exclusive  pronouns  :  and  the  same 
form  is  used  in  the  nominative  and  objective  cases.  In 
both  reduplication  is  common.  The  prefixes  through 
which  the  verb  is  conjugated,  though  differing  slightly  in 
form,  constantly  bear  the  same  meaning  in  Malay  as  in 
Malagasy  and  are  used  in  the  same  way.  In  both  cases 
the  same  sort  of  improvement  was  needed :  aDd  came  from 
the  same  source.  The  Arab  traders  gave  to  each  people 
the  names  of  the  days  of  the  week  and  of  the  months  of 
the  year.  The  scales  for  weighing  money  are  Arabic, 
mizan.    The  word  for  writing,  soratra,  seems  Arabic  also. 

Additional  improvement  to  the  Malagasy  came  from  their 

is  calculated  to  mislead  any  one  outside  the  island.  Hova  ought  to  have 
been  written  Huva. 


PEOPLE  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


173 


intercourse  with  the  French,  who  in  the  course  of  many 
years'  visits  to  the  coasts  of  the  island,  introduced  new 
articles  to  their  notice,  which  are  still  called  by  their 
French  names.  At  least  seventy  French  words  have  be- 
come naturalised  in  Malagasy  and  that  in  very  curious 
fashion.  The  young  Malagasy  now  sits  upon  a  seza,  in 
front  of  latdbat-ra ;  his  rice  is  brought  from  the  lakozy, 
and  he  eats  his  beef  with  a  foriset-y.  He  wipes  his  face 
with  a  mosara,  washes  his  hands  with  sdvona,  and  dries 
them  on  a  sdriveta.  He  keeps  his  clothes  in  a  Idlamora 
(armoire) ;  rides  forth  on  his  soavdly ;,  and  wears  patent- 
leather  boty. 

The  colonisation  of  Madagascar  by  the  Malay  tribes  is  a 
topic  full  of  interest :  but  we  know  almost  nothing  about 
it.  It  is  singular  that  in  the  very  first  mention  made  of 
the  island,  the  celebrated  notice  of  it  by  Marco  Paolo,  he 
should  have  made  a  strange  mistake  and  mixed  it  with 
information  which  belongs  to  the  Somali  country  around 
Cape  Gardafui.  Madagascar  has  neither  elephants  nor 
hippopotami ;  neither  leopards  nor  bears  nor  lions.  Never- 
theless it  is  evident  that  the  great  traveller  learned  some- 
thing real  about  the  island,  and  of  that  aspect  of  it  which 
was  specially  presented  to  the  great  sailors  of  his  time,  the 
Arab  and  Persian  traders,  whose  fathers  had  visited  it  for 
many  ages.  Sandal  wood  is  still  exported  from  the  north- 
ern ports ;  and  the  Hindus  carry  on  "  a  profitable  trade." 
I  do  not  think  that  the  people  whom  Fra  Mauro  speaks  of 
as  blown  away  to  the  southward  were  connected  with  the 
original  settling  of  Madagascar  by  the  Malays :  the  acci- 
dent he  describes  seems  to  me  of  much  later  date  than 


174 


THE  LAND  AND  THE 


that  settlement;  and  that  it  happened  to  Indian  traders 
who  were  sailing  down  the  African  coast.  When  they 
were  blown  back  again,  they  may  have  seen  shells  of  the 
CEpyornis,  on  the  sandy  terrace  at  the  south-east  end  of 
Madagascar,  where  M.  Grandidier  found  both  shells  and 
bones.  Era  Mauro  does  not  say  that  they  saw  the  living 
birds.  Sindbacl's  additions  about  the  elephants  and  the 
jewels  are  applications  of  "  travellers'  tales  "  and  traditions 
floating  about  the  nautical  world  long  before  his  day. 

That  in  early  times  there  should  have  been  a  Malay 
immigration  into  Madagascar  is  nothing  strange.  Every 
thing  new  which  we  are  learning  about  the  Indian  Ocean 
and  the  China  Sea  tends  to  show  how  boldly  and  continu- 
ously those  seas  were  traversed  before  the  Christian  era. 
Phoenician  navigation,  both  from  the  Eed  Sea  and  the  Per- 
sian Gulf,  was  ably  carried  out  even  in  the  time  of  Solo- 
mon ;  and  the  evidence  is  accumulating  that  their  colonies, 
trading  settlements,  and  ports  of  call  were  established  along 
all  the  African  and  Indian  coasts  before  the  Ptolemies  had 
ceased  to  rule.  They  had  long  since  learned  the  regularity 
of  the  monsoons  and  decided  how  to  employ  them ;  Zan- 
zibar and  its  neigbourhood  had  become  the  head-quarters 
of  the  Central  African  trade  ;  and  every  year  a  great  fleet 
crossed  the  Indian  ocean  from  the  ports  of  Gujerat  and 
Malabar  with  the  north-east  monsoon.  What  was  a  twenty 
days'  voyage  before  a  fair  and  steady,  breeze,  to  men  accus- 
tomed to  the  sea,  in  large  vessels  of  three  hundred  and  eight 
hundred  tons,  such  as  the  Alexandrian  corn  ships  or  the  bug- 
galows  of  the  Gulf  of  Cutch,  with  their  strong  masts,  long 
yard,  and  huge  sails  ?  To  me  it  seems  that  they  mastered 
the  navigation  early :  its  continuity,  was  never  broken  till 


PEOPLE  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


175 


Albuquerque  and  Almeida  took  it  with  violence  from 
their  hands  :  and  I  venture  to  think  that  in  the  Arab  mer- 
chants of  these  Eastern  seas,  with  their  Khojah  friends  in 
Western  India  and  the  "  Old  Man  of  the  Mountain/'  at 
their  head,  we  have  the  lineal  descendants,  in  blood  and 
language  and  employment,  of  the  Phoenicians  of  ancient 
times. 

Able  navigation  was  not  confined  to  the  waters  of  the 
Indian  Ocean.  We  know  how  before  the  Christian  era 
Hindu  merchants  and  sailors  traversed  the  Bay  of  Bengal, 
passed  the  Straits  of  Malacca  and  had  flourishing  settle- 
ments, temples  and  palaces  in  Bali  and  the  great  islands  of 
the  Java  Sea.  The  Malay  races  in  those  islands  had 
already  proved  themselves  adventurous  navigators.  We 
do  not  know  how  early  they  left  their  mark  on  all  the 
eastern  kingdoms  of  the  Bay  of  Bengal ;  on  Ceylon,  which 
was  to  them  Pulo  Sel&n  *  the  island  of  gems ; "  and  at 
various  points  along  the  coasts  of  India,  as  far  west  as 
Gujerat.  The  Chinese  too  have  not  been  behindhand  with 
their  well-built  vessels  and  the  compass  which  they  first 
employed  to  direct  them.  Long,  long  were  they  at  work, 
before  they  had  formed  and  perfected  the  enormous  junks 
which  so  delighted  Marco  Paolo,  with  their  well-caulked 
seams,  their  fifteen  watertight  compartments,  their  fifty 
cabins,  their  three  hundred  sailors  and  numerous  families 
of  women  and  children :  ready  to  undertake  long  coasting- 
voyages,  or  even  run  up  the  Straits  to  Ceylon,  or  visit  the 
three  Ports  of  India  which  they  loved,  and  from  which 
they  were  driven  only  four  hundred  years  ago.  The  very 
finest  of  these  vessels  belonged,  not  to  the  northern  ports 
of  China,  but  to  the  harbours  of  Siam.    Among  all  the 


176 


THE  LAXD  AXD  THE 


Hindu  and  Arab  vessels  I  have  seen  at  Zanzibar,  Calcutta 
and  Bombay,  none  equalled  in  size  and  strength  of  build 
the  noble  Siamese  junks,  which  I  once  found  at  anchor, 
after  their  annual  voyage  northward,  in  the  bends  of  the 
Peiho.  It  is  when  these  pursuits  are  in  full  activity  that 
ability  in  their  management  is  developed  in  its  highest 
forms.  And  what  more  natural  than  that  amonc*  these 
Arab  and  Siamese  and  Malay  navigators  there  should 
appear,  from  time  to  time,  men  of  genius  to  shape  out  new 
enterprises  :  or  that  among  their  chiefs  and  people  there 
should  arise  another  Prince  Henry  or  Queen  Elizabeth  or 
Ferdinand  and  Isabella,  to  foster  and  encourage  them  ? 

Anyhow  there  the  Malagasy  are ;  a  Malay  people,  follow- 
ing Malay  customs,  some  of  them  possessing  Malay  eyes 
and  hair  and  features ;  and  all  of  them  speaking  a  Malay 
tongue  at  the  present  hour.  When  they  came,  where  they 
landed,  what  hindered  their  return,  we  know  not.  Was 
some  large  vessel  caught  in  a  furious  cyclone  and  driven 
ashore.  Were  the  first  colonists  few  or  many  ?  Did  they 
communicate  with  their  friends  and  get  others  to  join 
them?  Were  several  settlements  established  at  different 
points :  was  the  colonisation  continuous :  if  so,  over  how 
many  years  did  it  spread  ?  Did  Malay  navigation  extend 
to  the  east  coast  of  Africa,  and  are  Zambesi,  Kilimany, 
Mombasa,  Kiloa,  Masambika  and  other  names  there,  of 
Malay  origin,  as  Mr.  Freeman  suggested  ? 

Judging  from  modern  results,  I  incline  to  think  that  the 
original  colonisation  was  not  extensive ;  that  the  trade  was 
found  not  to  be  remunerative ;  while  navigation  so  far  to 
the  south  was  found  to  have  special  perils ;  and  that  the 
connecting  link  between  Madagascar  and  Great  Malaya 


PEOPLE  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


177 


was  early  severed.  The  population  has  increased  but 
slowly  during  these  long  ages.  Even  now  the  Betsi- 
misaraka  tribes  in  their  five  divisions  only  just  exceed  a 
quarter  of  a  million :  the  scattered  Sakalavas,  even  in  their 
wide  and  fertile  plains,  contentious  and  ever  at  feud  with 
one  another,  cannot  exceed  half  a  million.  The  three 
Hova  divisions  are  strongest  in  numbers,  in  civilisation  and 
resources  generally,  and  yet  amount  to  less  than  a  million 
and  three-quarters  altogether. 

Hitherto  the  various  writers  on  Madagascar  in  describ- 
ing the  population  have  all  followed  Mr.  Ellis's  estimate  of 
forty  years  ago.  That  estimate,  amounting  to  5,500,000, 
appears  to  be  wholly  inapplicable  to  the  present  day.  It 
was  to  a  large  extent  guess  work,  and  included  districts 
which  had  then  scarcely  been  visited  by  an  Englishman. 
I  speak  of  the  population,  as  (to  a  large  extent)  I  saw  it ; 
and  I  estimate  it  as  follows  : — 

Population  of  Madagascar. 

1.  Betsimisakakas,  including — 

Sihanakas,  40,000  ;  Tanalas,  20,000;  Tan- 

kays,  50,000;  Ikongos,  20,000        .  .  300,000 

2.  Sakalavas,  North  and  South       .         .         .  500,000 

3.  Hovas  and  Cognate  Tribes  : — 

Imerina  and  Vonizongo  .  .  1,000,000 

Imamo  and  Mandridrano  .  100,000 

Betafo  and  V^kin  'Ankarat  .  100,000 
Betsileo  ....  300,000 
Ibara,  &c.  200,000 

  1,700,000 


Total      .  2,500,000 

The  results  at  present  produced  show  at  least  three  in- 
dependent movements  in  the  settlement  of  the  island. 

M 


178 


THE  LAND  AND  THE 


The  Betsimisarakas  have  lived  a  quiet  life  on  the  east 
coast,  quite  independent  of  the  other  tribes,  and  have 
quietly  spread  up  the  hills  into  the  Tanala,  the  Sihanaka 
and  Ankay.  And  they  have  preserved  in  simple  fashion 
the  rough  tongue  of  their  forefathers  in  Sumatra.  "Whether 
the  Sakalavas  are  one  people,  or  have  sprung  from  more 
than  one  colony,  north  and  south,  we  know  not.  They 
have  had  constant  wars  with  their  neighbours  above  the 
hills,  as  well  as  among  themselves.  A  dread  of  their  cour- 
age and  skill  in  war  has  established  between  them  and 
those  neighbours  a  Roman's  land  of  fifty  or  sixty  miles  in 
breadth.  And  their  movements  and  their  history  seem  to 
have  been  all  along  independent  of  others. 

The  only  traditions  and  remnants  of  past  history  come 
from  the  Hovas,  who  also  have  been  independent,  and 
who  having  found  opportunities  of  development  not  pos- 
sessed by  their  fellows,  have  come  to  the  front  among  the 
Malagasy  tribes.  They  tell  us  how  their  original  settle- 
ment was  in  the  south-east  of  the  island  :  when  com- 
menced, how  developed,  lasting  how  long,  they  do  not 
know.  Eesults  show  that  here  they  became  a  strong 
people ;  and  swarming  off,  they  began  to  push  their  way 
up  into  the  hills.  Evidently  they  entered  the  upper 
plateau  at  its  south-east  corner ;  and  while  the  foremost  of 
the  tribe  pushed  on,  other  branches  gradually  springing  from 
it,  and  now  named  Betsileo  and  Ibara,  filled  in  the  districts 
behind.  The  advanced  Hovas  seem  to  have  reached 
Imerina  about  eight  hundred  years  ago.  For  perhaps  a 
hundred  and  twenty  years  they  were  on  friendly  terms 
with  a  tribe  which  they  found  there,  if  not  actually  sub- 
ject to  them. 


PEOPLE  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


179 


This  tribe  they  call  Vazimba.  In  the  present  day  they 
talk  of  them  as  their  ancestors ;  in  the  idolatrous  days 
they  were  deified;  and  their  tombs  are  still  the  most 
sacred  objects  in  the  country.  Happily  the  Hova  tra- 
ditions give  us  the  names  of  seven  Vazimba  kings.  These 
names  are  as  genuine  specimens  of  Malagasy  as  the  Hova 
names  themselves.  The  Vazimba  tombs  are  of  the  shape 
and  structure  of  the  usual  Hova  tombs,  though  of  rude 
work  and  rough  stones.  So  far  therefore  as  we  know  any- 
thing about  the  Vazimba,  they  were  a  true  Malagasy 
people  :  there  is  nothing  African  about  them. 

After  a  while  the  Vazimba  and  the  strangers  quarrelled. 
Contests  arose  and  the  Vazimba  were  driven  out  of  the 
province ;  "  to  the  south-west "  says  the  story ;  and  that 
means  "into  the  unknown."  This  superiority  of  the 
strangers,  says  tradition,  was  due  to  their  use  of  iron. 
Whether  they  had  iron  while  on  the  coast ;  whether  their 
fathers  had  brought  and  retained  any  knowledge  of  its 
use ;  or  whether  they  had  learned  it  from  their  Arab 
friends  and  neighbours  at  Matitanana :  whether  they  had 
supplied  themselves  with  iron-headed  spears  during  their 
march  up  the  Betsileo ;  or  had  only  produced  them  on 
arriving  in  Imerina,  from  the  iron  hills  of  Amoronkay,  it 
is  now  impossible  to  say.  But  in  the  assertion  that  they 
knew  the  use  of  iron,  while  their  opponents  had  only 
spears  of  wood,  there  is  nothing  improbable. 

They  made  Imerina  and  all  the  upper  plateau  their  own. 
And  here  for  five  hundred  years  they  settled  down  and 
spread  and  grew.  They  ate,  they  drank;  they  planted, 
they  builded ;  they  spun  and  they  wove ;  they  married  and 
were  given  in  marriage.    They  formed  the  iron  hatchet 


180 


THE  LAND  AND  THE 


and  the  iron  spade.  They  cut  down  the  forests  and  built 
houses,  well  framed,  well  fitted,  with  roofs  that  successfully 
shed  the  rain.  They  built  villages  and  towns ;  surrounded 
them  with  deep  ditches  and  protected  them  with  the 
cactus  hedge.  They  grew  into  compact'  tribes,  obedient  to 
their  chief  and  his  appointed  officers.  The  members  of  the 
tribe  met  in  council ;  and  in  the  public  assemblies,  not 
only  maintained  their  liberties,  but  developed  the  powers 
and  the  resources  of  their  mellifluous  language.  They 
made  wrar  on  their  neighbours  or  defended  themselves 
against  attack:  their  kings  cemented  peace  by  marriage 
alliances.  They  made  great  feasts  ;  and  though  no  poetry 
has  survived,  their  orators  could  recite  the  traditions  of 
the  past :  and  their  assemblies  were  enlivened  with  the 
dance  and  the  song.  Great  heroes  arose  among  them,  like 
Eapeto  and  Ealambo;  of  whom  wondrous  stories  went 
abroad. 

Two  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago  the  Malagasy  not  only 
began  to  be  better  known  to  the  outside  world,  but  light 
begins  to  be  thrown  upon  their  internal  growth  and  con- 
dition. At  that  period  we  find  the  Arab  merchants  settled 
at  three  points  on  the  coast  and  a  foreign  trade  steadily 
carried  on.  We  find  them  on  the  east  at  two  points.  At 
Matitanana  they  have  been  settled  long;  they  have  written 
the  Malagasy  language  in  Arabic  characters  ;  they  have 
taught  the  tribes  the  Arabic  names  of  the  week  days  and 
the  months:  but  they  have  made  no  converts.  As  the 
first  specimens  of  the  rukh's  egg  were  dug  up  here,  it  is 
possible  that  Sindbad's  application  of  the  old  story  may 
have  been  derived  from  some  sailor  who  had  visited  the 
settlement.    There  was  another  Arab  colony  on  the  island 


PEOPLE  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


181 


above  Tamatave,  called  by  them  Nosi  Ibrahim :  now 
known  by  the  French  name  of  I.  Ste  Marie,  Both  these 
settlements,  owing  doubtless  to  the  Portuguese  invasion  of 
the  eastern  seas,  were  in  a  state  of  decay.  The  third 
settlement,  at  what  is  now  called  Mojanga,  had  done 
better :  it  was  more  easily  accessible ;  it  was  nearer  to  the 
head  quarters  of  the  Arab  trade  at  Zanzibar  ;  it  was  on  the 
lee  side  of  the  island,  on  a  splendid  bay ;  and  both  the 
Indian  cloth  trade  and  the  traffic  in  slaves  were  carried 
on  under  favourable  conditions.  More  than  this,  able  men 
among  the  Arabs  had  watched  their  opportunities,  had 
practically  usurped  the  government  of  the  locality,  and  as 
the  Sakalavas  had  no  cohesion,  they  retained  their  power 
long.  At  this  time  the  trade  of  the  Indian  Ocean  was 
breaking  up.  The  Portuguese  had  built  up  nothing  in  the 
place  of  the  power  they  had  destroyed.  The  sea  swarmed 
with  adventurers  :  Captain  Kyd  and  other  English  pirates 
made  Madagascar  their  head  quarters :  and  French  schem- 
ers were  planning  and  contriving  settlements  on  the  sea 
board,  hoping  in  the  end  to  obtain  possession  of  the 
island. 

From  all  these  quarters  the  Malagasy  people  gained  no 
help.  Under  God's  care  in  the  quiet  of  the  interior  they 
were  making  steady  progress.  It  is  evident  from  their 
traditions  that  two  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago,  consider- 
able strength  was  accumulating  in  the  community,  broader 
ideas  began  to  prevail,  and  efforts  at  closer  union  were  put 
forth.  Ealambo  stands  first  in  the  new  line  of  monarchs 
drawing  the  people  onward.  To  him  are  attributed  great 
advance  in  the  care  of  cattle,  and  the  establishment  of  the 
Fandroana  festival.    His  second  son,  Andrianjaka,  in  the 


182 


THE  LAXD  AXD  THE 


days  of  Cromwell,  founded  Antananarivo,  on  the  hill  till 
then  called  Ialamanga.  Sixty  years  later  (about  1720), 
Andriamasinavalona,  a  man  of  large  mind,  brought  the 
whole  of  the  Imerina  towns  under  his  rule.  He  was  a 
wise  and  thoughtful  ruler,  ready  for  great  enterprises.  To 
him  is  attributed  the  greatest  engineering  work  yet  ex- 
ecuted in  the  province,  the  embankments  of  the  river 
Ikopa,  which  prevent  the  annual  flooding  of  the  great  rice- 
plain.  His  name  is  always  mentioned  in  public  kabaries 
with  profound  respect.  On  his  death  his  kingdom  was 
broken  up  among  his  sons ;  but  a  hundred  years  ago,  all 
the  twelve  cities  were  re-united  under  Impoin-Imerina,  the 
ablest  monarch  of  that  princely  line.  The  border  provinces 
also  on  every  side  felt  the  weight  of  his  strong  hand  :  and 
his  son  Eadama,  by  hard  fighting,  long  marches  and  untir- 
ing energy,  consolidated  and  extended  the  dominion  on 
every  side.  Only  the  south-west  Sakalavas  and  Ikongo 
remained  independent. 

Even  then,  with  all  their  growing  energy,  the  Malagasy 
nation  was  still  young.  Their  cities  were  growing;  the 
villages  were  becoming  numerous ;  and  on  the  whole  peace 
was  maintained.  But  it  was  often  broken  for  a  time  :  and 
the  hollow  valleys  between  the  royal  towns  were  still 
swamps  full  of  reeds,  a  protection  to  each  city  against  its 
neighbours.  The  rice  cultivation  was  extending ;  but  an 
immense  area  of  the  great  plain  was  still  occupied  by  these 
great  reeds,  high  overhead,  thick,  and  all  but  impassable. 
It  took  three  days  to  travel  from  the  present  capital  to  Am- 
bohimanga,  twelve  miles  to  the  north :  the  swamps  were 
traversed  in  canoes :  and  enemies,  with  spears,  might  be 
encountered  at  any  point,  lurking  in  wait  for  prey. 


PEOPLE  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


18S 


In  this  brief  sketch  I  cannot  enter  at  length  into  the 
customs  of  these  tribes.  Their  ancient  warfare  with  the 
thin  spear  and  round  hide  shield ;  their  cylinder-bellows, 
and  clay  furnaces  for  smelting  iron ;  their  simple  looms 
and  spindles,  have  all  been  described  and  pictured  by  Mr. 
Ellis.  With  one  thing  however  I  was  greatly  struck: 
with  their  custom  of  giving  over  to  the  dead  in  their  large 
stone  tombs,  the  dresses,  ornaments,  furniture  and  posses- 
sions, which  were  favourites  while  they  lived.  And  I 
remembered  how  the  Malay  tribes  of  Polynesia  and  the 
Korth  American  Indians  have  been  accustomed  to  do  the 
same.  Another  custom  was  to  exhibit  by  rows  of  cooking 
stones,  or  of  bullock  skulls  on  poles,  the  extent  to  which 
the  funeral  feasts  had  been  carried  in  honour  of  the  dead, 
and  the  estimation  in  which  they  were  held. 

The  social  life  of  the  Capital  at  the  beginning  of  this 
century,  shows  in  a  very  striking  way  how  poor,  as  com- 
pared wTith  other  nations,  the  civilisation  of  the  Malagasy 
still  was.  Almost  no  European  improvements  had  reached 
them,  except  the  fire-arms  which  they  had  obtained  from 
the  coast,  and  which  proved  a  powerful  instrument  in 
securing  the  consolidation  of  the  kingdom.  When  Le 
Sage  visited  him,  Eadama  was  a  thorough  Malagasy,  in  his 
dress,  his  superstitions,  his  house,  his  habits.  He  was 
dressed  in  a  lamba,  and  sat  on  the  floor,  to  eat  with  his 
hands  out  of  a  silver  dish.  His  people  were  the  same ; 
and  when  they  met  Le  Sage  and  gave  him  a  royal  recep- 
tion as  the  English  envoy,  they  were  covered  with  silver 
ornaments,  and  shouted  and  danced  and  sang  around  the 
strangers  with  truly  barbaric  pomp  and  show.  In  mental 
grasp  and  in  their  longing  for  better  things  Eadama  and 


184 


THE  LAXD  AXI)  THE 


his  father  were  much  beyond  all  this.  Radama  was  a 
gentleman  in  his  manners,  courteous,  considerate,  hospi- 
table and  kind.  Both  kings  were  wise  in  council,  ener- 
getic in  action,  eloquent  in  speech  :  both  were  humane  in 
purpose,  though  in  despotic  harshness  they  were  often 
cruel;  both  were  truthful,  straightforward,  and  truly 
anxious  to  improve.  They  were  fine  illustrations  of  the 
weaknesses  of  Madagascar,  as  well  as  of  its  native  strength 
and  native  virtues. 

Beneath  the  surface  lay  many  proofs  of  the  backward- 
ness of  the  people.  Life  and  property  were  insecure  :  there 
was  much  poverty :  few  incentives  existed  to  active  in- 
dustry :  the  country  was  destitute  of  roads  :  systematic 
travelling  and  intercourse  between  the  different  parts  of 
the  country,  was  all  but  unknown.  To  me  one  of  the 
most  instructive  illustrations  of  the  state  of  the  island 
and  of  the  relation  of  its  people  to  the  world  at  large  is 
furnished  by  an  event  which  occurred  at  this  time  on  the 
north-western  coast.  On  more  than  one  occasion  at  the 
end  of  last  century  the  Sakalava  tribes  had  taken  advan- 
tage of  small  vessels,  in  calm  weather,  had  seized  them, 
brought  them  to  land  and  burnt  them  for  the  sake  of  their 
copper  and  iron.  Gathering  together  hundreds  of  men, 
they  had  undertaken  occasional  expeditions  against  the 
Comoro  Islands  and  harried  and  robbed  their  people.  But 
in  1816  they  planned  a  great  expedition  against  the  fort 
of  Ibo,  near  Mozambique,  three  hundred  miles  away.  They 
gathered  no  less  than  two  hundred  and  fifty  canoes,  con- 
taining 6250  men  ;  and  set  out  on  their  expedition.  They 
were  overtaken  by  a  violent  hurricane  and  only  sixty-eight 
canoes  reached  the  African  shore.   That  was  in  1816.  Yet 


PEOPLE  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


185 


it  reads  like  a  page  from  Robinson  Crusoe,  or  a  story 
from  the  South  Sea  Islands. 

I  need  not  pursue  the  history.  With  Eadama  we  have 
reached  our  own  times ;  we  have  reached  modern  efforts, 
modern  improvement,  modern  missions.  Often  has  the 
later  story  been  written :  it  is  told  by  Mr.  Sibree  in  his 
little  book,  and  by  Mr.  Ellis  in  his  "Martyr  Church" 
effectively  and  with  brevity.  Let  us  look  at  the  people  as 
they  are.  At  first  sight  my  colleague  and  I  thought  them 
backward  :  but  the  more  we  reflected  on  the  past ;  on 
their  complete  isolation  from  the  great  world  around  them; 
the  simple  frame-work  and  the  small  attainments  of  their 
national  and  social  life,  so  late  as  sixty  years  ago ;  the 
more  thoroughly  we  appreciated  the  great  stride  in  pro- 
gress which  they  have  taken  in  that  brief  period.  Many 
officers  of  Eadama's  day  are  still  living,  with  their  anti- 
quated coats  and  antiquated  notions  ;  and  till  very  recently 
they  have  much  hindered  change  and  trammelled  advance. 
But  solid  progress  has  been  made.  It  has  been  made  in 
their  outer  life.  But  best  of  all,  it  has  been  secured  in  far 
greater  degree  in  their  religious  character  and  in  their 
moral  and  social  habits.  Indeed  it  is  a  matter  for  special 
congratulation  and  thankfulness,  that  it  is  that  moral  im- 
provement which  has  come  first ;  and  that  it  is  so  deeply 
rooted  and  so  widely  spread.  The  external  civilisation 
will  follow  quite  rapidly  enough. 

In  the  form  of  their  national  life,  the  Malagasy  are  still 
a  federation  of  Malay  tribes.  Each  of  the  greater  tribes 
has  numerous  sub-divisions :  at  the  head  of  which  are 
the  noble  families  and  princes  descended  from  the  great 
chiefs  of  former  ages.    Among  these  the  immediate  de- 


186 


THE  LAND  AND  THE 


scendants  of  the  ancient  kings  of  all  the  sections  and 
cities  of  old  times  occupy  an  honoured  place.  The  feudal 
rights  and  dignities  and  privileges  of  these  noble. clans  are 
carefully  maintained,  as  well  as  their  feudal  duties  faith- 
fully performed.  All  the  commoner  ranks  of  the  people 
are  enrolled  and  included  among  the  clients  and  followers 
of  these  inferior  chiefs  and  princes ;  or  among  the  direct 
followers  of  the  sovereign.  All  payments  for  taxation 
within  the  tribes  are  made  in  kind  or  in  feudal  service 
rendered.  Officers  are  remunerated  by  lands  or  by  the 
assignment  to  them  of  the  service  of  so  many  inferior  men. 
Bice,  sugar-cane,  lambas,  firewood,  beams  for  building, 
bundles  of  thatch,  stones,  pork,  beef  are  all  rendered  to 
them  and  to  their  superiors  as  part  of  that  service.  Under 
the  law  of  Kalambo,  the  rump  of  every  ox  slaughtered  in 
the  Capital  is  delivered  to  the  Queen.  On  a  message  from 
the  Queen  asking  for  any  special  form  of  service,  local 
meetings  are  held  by  the  clans  to  arrange  as  to  the  mode 
of  distributing  it.  The  term  used  to  denote  this  system  is 
fdnamjjdana,  which  means  exactly  "  service  and  it  bears 
all  the  variety  and  breadth  of  meaning  which  the  English 
word  had  in  feudal  times.  Though  having  in  it  just 
elements,  the  system  has  many  weaknesses.  It  bears 
heavily  upon  the  skilful :  it  is  unequal  in  its  demands : 
it  represses  progress  by  taking  away  all  stimulus  to  self- 
improvement  or  to  individual  enterprise.  It  keeps  society 
on  a  dead  level  and  fosters  indolence  and  indifference.  It 
will  only  be  cured  by  a  fair  distribution  of  the  services 
required  in  all  grades  of  society,  and  by  a  commutation  of 
the  service  for  a  fixed  money  payment. 

In  regard  to  legislation  and  general  government,  the 


PEOPLE  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


187 


Queen  is  the  head  of  all  the  tribes.  On  great  questions 
public  meetings  of  the  tribes  (kabaries)  are  held :  discus- 
sions take  place,  and  the  Sovereign  pronounces  the  decision. 
The  Sovereign  in  this  way  enacts  all  laws.  But  they  are 
declared  verbally  by  herself  or  some  appointed  officer,  (as 
we  have  seen  in  the  Betsileo)  in  public  meeting ;  and  the 
people  and  their  representatives  respond.  Judges  and 
magistrates,  "  heads  of  hundreds,"  and  so  on,  are  appointed 
to  hear  cases  and  complaints,  or  to  examine  criminals : 
they  sit  in  the  open  market.  Many  improvements  are 
coming  in  to  these  arrangements.  The  laws  have  been 
codified  twice  by  recent  Sovereigns,  and  have  been  put  in 
print.  The  Malagasy  have  now  a  "  Prime  Minister,"  a 
"  Commander-in-Chief,"  and  a  "  Chief  Secretary  of  State," 
called  by  the  English  names.  And  these  officers,  with  a 
few  others,  form  a  kind  of  inner  council,  who  consult  to- 
gether about  public  affairs.  Formal  receptions  are  held 
by  the  Court  and  affairs  are  conducted  with  dignity  and 
good  sense. 

Apart  from  their  religious  instructions,  the  missionaries 
of  the  London  Missionary  Society  have  done  a  great  deal 
to  enlarge  the  general  knowledge  of  the  people  and  elevate 
their  family  and  social  life.  They  have  given  them  new 
instruments  for  material  progress,  that  have  already  secured 
valuable  results.  They  first  systematically  wrote  down  the 
language :  and  both  by  learning  to  write  and  to  use  the  press, 
the  government  and  the  people  have  made  abundant  use 
of  the  new  power  placed  at  their  command.  Mr.  Chick, 
with  his  huge  anvil  and  muscular  arms,  astonished  the 
people  by  the  larger  forms  of  iron  work  which  he  could 
produce.     Eadama  admired  him  greatly.     The  native 


188        LAND  AND  PEOPLE  OF  MADAGASCAR. 

smiths  and  artisans  soon  copied  their  master.  Carpenters, 
builders  and  masons  have  done  the  same.  Perhaps  the 
most  striking  improvement  which  has  been  accepted  on  a 
large  scale,  is  the  adoption  of  the  English  dress.  It  took 
place  during  our  visit,  in  December  1873.  With  the  ap- 
proval of  the  people,  the  Queen  expressed  her  readiness  to 
receive  her  subjects  at  Court  dressed  in  English  costume. 
The  transformation  was  rapid,  and  the  demands  made  in 
all  directions  for  hats,  bonnets,  feathers,  sprigs  of  flowers, 
and  ladies'  jackets  was  very  great.  Higher  wants  than 
these  are  being  felt :  and  in  due  time  they  will  no  doubt 
be  supplied.  Of  these  roads  are  an  important  item :  and 
the  payment  for  service  in  money.  And  it  is  a  happy 
thing,  that  by  improving  and  elevating  the  customs  and 
institutions  of  the  country  on  their  old  lines,  the  stability 
and  safety  of  the  nation  are  secured. 

Things  are  yet  very  backward.  But  the  Malagasy  are 
an  intelligent  people,  an  orderly  people,  a  loyal  people,  a 
religious  people.  They  have  learned  much  already :  and 
they  are  improving  daily.  They  are  governed  by  a  good 
Queen  and  by  wise  and  able  officers.  Had  they  at  hand, 
in  the  Capital,  a  wise  English  Consul,  to  advise  them 
(when  they  need)  in  difficulties,  and  to  aid  them  in  the 
solution  of  important  problems  continually  coming  before 
them,  their  progress  would  be  greatly  facilitated.  Under 
such  influences,  secular  and  sacred,  Hawaii,  with  its  sixty 
i  thousand  people,  has  grown  into  a  Christian  nation  and  has 
\  taken  its  place  in  the  world's  history.  Ear  greater  will 
Madagascar  at  length  become,  when  elevated,  sanctified 
and  ennobled  in  all  the  elements  of  its  social  and  public 
life. 


CHAPTEE  VII. 


LAKE  ITASY  AND  THE  VOLCANIC  DISTRICT. 


South  Border  of  Imerina — Hill  of  Antongona — Arivonimamo,  the  old 
Capital — Great  number  of  beautiful  hills — Mi^dana  Manjaka — Lake 
Itasy — The  Mandridrano — Religious  knowledge  of  the  people — The 
grass  of  Madagascar — Numerous  craters  and  crater-lakes — Mahatsinjo 
and  its  people — Vinany  hill — Kitsamby  river — Antoby — The  Vava 
Vato — Norwegian  Missions — Menabe — Betafo  and  Sirabe — Volcanoes 
— Hot  springs  and  Limepits — Votovorona — The  East  of  Ankarat — 
Andrarity — Our  return — Western  Imerina — Ambohiveloma — The 
Farahantsana  :  falls  of  the  Ikopa. 


CHAPTEE  VII. 


LAKE  ITASY  AND  THE  VOLCANIC  DISTRICT. 

The  season  was  now  advancing:  the  dry  weather  had 
come,  and  in  the  open  parts  of  the  country  there  was  little 
fear  of  fever.  The  plans  of  the  mission  were  pretty  fully 
shaped  out :  and  there  were  important  districts  which  we 
had  not  yet  seen.  In  dividing  the  country  parts  of  Imerina 
among  the  churches  of  the  capital  as  spheres  of  Christian 
labour,  the  south-western,  the  district  of  Imamo,  had  been 
allotted  to  Ambohitantely.  This  church  and  its  branches 
were  in  the  hands  of  the  Friends  ;  who  have  given  to  them 
the  most  devoted  care.  During  our  visit,  one  of  their 
number,  Mr.  Clemes,  had  gone  to  settle  at  Antoby  near 
the  end  of  the  district.  We  arranged  therefore  that  we 
would  visit  this  district  first :  and  Mr.  Joseph  Sewell,  the 
senior  member  of  the  Friends'  Mission,  kindly  engaged  to 
accompany  us. 

\Ye  left  the  capital  on  Tuesday,  April  14th,  at  ten 
o'clock,  having  planned  to  accomplish  but  a  single  stage 
on  the  first  day  of  the  journey.  As  our  route  lay  along 
the  south  border  of  Imerina,  we  crossed  the  Ikopa,  and 
three  of  its  tributaries,  and  bent  our  steps  towards  Anton- 
gona,  one  of  the  most  striking  hills  in  the  province.  The 


192 


LAKE  ITASY  AND 


Sisaony,  which  we  crossed  first,  is  a  broad  but  shallow 
river,  which  we  had  met  with  higher  up,  near  Ambatoma- 
laza.  The  Andromba  we  found  a  hundred  yards  broad 
and  four  feet  deep.  The  Katsaoka,  a  few  miles  beyond 
was  about  the  same  size.  Both  rivers  rise  among  the 
eastern  roots  of  Ankarat,  and  coming  round  Fandravasana 
and  Kingory,  flow  across  a  level,  which  looks  wonderfully 
like  a  dried-up  lake ;  and  uniting  at  its  western  end,  flow 
northward  to  join  the  Ikopa,  at  the  foot  of  Ambohimanoa. 
Before  crossing  these  rivers  we  found  that  the  population 
was  sensibly  growing  thinner. 

Antongona  is  a  noble  hill  of  gneiss,  running  nearly  east 
and  west.  Its  name  seems  to  recognise  its  resemblance  to 
the  human  foot.  It  consist  of  two  sections,  and  in  the 
centre  of  the  western  part  is  a  lofty  mass  of  rocks,  round 
which  a  number  of  houses  are  clustered.  We  climbed  to 
the  summit  (570  feet  above  the  plain);  obtained  important 
observations :  and  had  a  striking  view  of  the  country, 
which  lay  clear  beneath  us  on  every  side. 

On  the  second  day  we  rested  at  Arivonimamo,  the  former 
capital  of  the  Imamo  district.  It  is  a  small  decayed  place, 
with  seventy  houses.  It  is  surrounded  by  a  deep  fosse, 
and  has  on  its  north  side  a  fine  specimen  of  the  Malagasy 
town-gate,  with  its  round  stone.  In  the  centre  of  the  little 
town  are  some  royal  tombs,  shaded  by  five  noble  amontana 
trees.  All  the  principal  families,  once  settled  here,  have 
removed  to  the  capital  and  its  neighbourhood :  and  the 
population  is  kept  up  by  their  dependents  and  a  few  aged 
people  past  work.  The  town  stands  in  an  open,  undulating 
plain :  but  it  has  little  population  around  it. 

From  Antongona  westward  the  country  has  many  beau- 


THE  VOLCANIC  DISTRICT. 


193 


ties.  The  hills  are  bold,  lofty  and  of  fine  form.  The  ra- 
vines are  narrow;  and  the  hills  are  soft  and  rich  with  groves 
of  the  tapia  tree  on  which  the  silkworm  lives.  Ambohit-  *" 
rambo,  which  from  the  capital  seems  merely  a  noble  coni- 
cal hill,  we  found  to  have  a  long  ridge  behind  it,  like  the 
body  of  the  Sphinx.  Ambohimpanompo,  full  of  ravines 
and  cascades  on  its  northern  face,  curves  round  to  the 


STONE  GATE  AT  ARIVONIMAMO. 


south  and  south-east,  in  a  great  ridge  covered  with  boulders. 
South  of  Arivonimamo  is  a  low  hill,  the  basaltic  stones  of 
which  are  heavy  with  iron.  Close  to  its  foot,  come  down 
some  of  the  long  lava  tongues  that  have  flowed  out  from 
the  lofty  peaks  of  Ankaratra,  Ambohitsampan  and  Tsiafa- 
kafo,  twenty  miles  to  the  south.  Still  westward,  Ivahan- 
ambo  and  Tsitakondaza,  twin  hills  of  great  height,  tower 

N 


194 


LAKE  ITASY  AND 


above  the  country.  Beyond  them  is  the  noble  mass  of 
Vodivohitra :  and  between  it  and  Xanza  lies  one  of  the 
prettiest  pieces  of  rural  scenery  in  western  Imerina, 
Journeying  onward  we  began  to  approach  the  edge  of  the 
Imerina  plateau,  and  were  involved  in  ridges,  that  rapidly 
succeeded  one  another,  with  deep  ravines  and  gullies  be- 
tween. Throughout  the  journey  we  crossed  several  small 
rivers,  draining  the  north  side  of  Ankarat,  the  Ombifotsy, 
and  the  Anonibe,  which  join  the  Ikopa ;  and  others  which 
fall  into  Lake  Itasy  and  thence  flow  down  into  the  western 
plains.  All  these  results  of  our  observation  are  carefully 
embodied  in  the  Map  of  the  district  which  is  one  product 
of  our  journey. 

On  the  evening  of  Friday,  the  fourth  day  after  leaving 
the  capital,  we  reached  the  village  of  Aliadanamanjaka.  It 
was  on  a  hill  and  well  raised  above  the  swamps.  But  it 
was  a  dirty  place,  of  sixty-two  houses ;  full  of  pigs  and 
cattle ;  and  muddy  from  the  heavy  rain  which  fell  just  be- 
fore our  arrival.  The  chapel  in  which  alone  we  could  find 
accommodation,  was  very  damp  and  had  a  great  hole  in 
the  roof.  We  put  up  the  tent  however  inside,  spread  our 
waterproof  tent  carpets,  and  made  ourselves  comfortable. 
Here  we  spent  three  days,  looking  into  a  variety  of 
matters  connected  both  with  the  place  and  with  the 
people. 

Saturday  we  devoted  to  Lake  Itasv  ;  and  spent  a  most 
delightful  day  examining  it.  The  ridge,  upon  the  end  of 
which  the  village  stands,  runs  north,  and  at  its  highest 
point  overhangs  the  lake,  being  1630  feet  above  it.  From 
the  crest  of  this  ridge  we  had  a  fine  view  of  the  entire 
country :  and  as  usual  we  took  a  series  of  observations  and 


THE  VOLCANIC  DISTRICT. 


195 


photographed  the  lake,  now  lying  in  all  its  length  before 
us.  Lake  Itasy  is  scarcely  known  in  the  geographical 
world  except  by  name.  Its  eastern  end  has  been  visited 
on  three  or  four  occasions  by  the  English  Missionaries ; 
and  also  by  M.  Grandidier.  The  lake  possesses  many 
points  of  interest.  One  of  its  most  striking  features  is  the 
noble  mountain  of  Ambohimiangara,  which  overhangs  its 
north-east  corner.  This  is  one  of  the  grandest  among  the 
many  grand  hills  of  Imerina.  It  is  twelve  miles  in  length ; 
and  its  base  is  over  two  miles  wide :  it  has  three  peaks : 
each  of  which  is  fifteen  hundred  feet  above  the  general 
level  of  the  plain.  It  is  said  to  contain  a  great  deal  of 
iron,  and  has  for  many  generations  been  resorted  to  by  the 
people  of  the  neighbourhood  for  their  local  implements. 
Other  lofty  hills  border  the  lake  on  the  west.  Indeed,  ex- 
cept on  its  south  bank  it  is  surrounded  by  hills  ;  and  on 
that  side,  the  swampy  level  indicated  that  in  former  days 
and  when  the  waters  were  deeper,  the  lake  extended  to  a 
hilly  mass  now  more  than  two  miles  from  the  shore.  The 
lake  is  not  a  deep  ravine  with  one  end  dammed  up  by 
rocks  (like  Nynee  Tal),  and  so  filled  by  the  waters  accumul- 
ated from  above.  It  is  a  submerged  level.  At  its  western 
end  it  looks  shallow :  and  the  fishing  showed  it  to  be 
shallow :  but  toward  the  east,  where  strong  winds  produce 
a  current,  the  lake  is  deep.  Many  streams  flow  into  it 
from  the  south  and  east :  and  it  has  but  one  outlet  on  the 
north  side :  the  stream  from  which  goes  to  the  west  and 
south-west  and  falls  into  the  Kitsamby.  The  lake  is  eight 
miles  long  and  two  miles  and  a-half  broad.  It  contains 
six  small  peninsulas,  jutting  into  the  water ;  on  one  of 
which,  called  Ambonihazo,  "  wooded  hill,"  is  a  little  village, 


196 


LAKE  ITASY  AND 


with  a  pretty  church,  embowered  among  the  trees.  The 
country  around  it  is  very  bright  and  green  :  and  under  the 
clear  sky,  the  lake  of  pale  blue  was  a  most  pleasant  sight. 
In  the  afternoon  we  descended  the  hill  and  went  down  to 
its  western  shore.  We  found  there  a  plain  a  mile  broad, 
with  rice,  maize  and  fruit  growing  in  the  fields  :  with  the 
little  village  of  Moratsiazo  and  a  chapel.  Standing  on  the 
margin  of  the  lake,  we  counted  nineteen  boats  or  canoes, 
dotting  the  water  near,  each  with  a  separate  man,  catching 
with  rod  and  line  the  fish  for  which  the  lake  is  celebrated. 
The  water  is  sweet,  but  it  was  very  dirty.  The  people  of 
the  village  received  us  hospitably  :  they  gave  us  some  ex- 
cellent guavas ;  we  had  a  most  acceptable  tiffin  in  the 
chapel;  and  we  left  one  of  our  men,  who  proves  to  be 
a  good  preacher,  to  conduct  service  for  them  on  the 
morrow. 

The  district  we  had  reached,  on  the  south-west  corner  of 
the  lake,  is  called  the  Mandridrano,  "sluggish  waters." 
The  drainage  of  the  district  is  certainly  imperfect :  there 
are  long  levels  in  the  valleys,  the  outlets  of  which  need 
artificial  enlargement :  to  these  sluggish  waters  (which 
they  drink)  the  people  attribute  the  fevers  which  abound. 
The  population  is  by  no  means  deficient.  The  weekly 
market  was  attended  by  some  three  hundred  people. 
There  are  several  flourishing  villages,  as  Andrainarivo, 
Tsaravinany  and  Ambonilouka,  within  two  miles :  while 
beyond  Moratsiazo,  there  are  Ambohipolo  and  Ambohi- 
drano,  villages  of  some  size  with  chapels  :  and  to  the  west 
there  is  a  large  and  fertile  basin  with  a  large  population, 
to  be  more  particularly  described.  The  people  too  are  by 
no  means  poor.     They  have  plenty  to  eat  and  drink: 


THE  VOLCANIC  DISTRICT. 


197 


cattle  are  numerous :  fruit  is  abundant,  and  rice  and  maize 
are  fabulously  cheap.  Mr.  Parrett  specially  noticed  dur- 
ing his  visit  (some  years  ago),  that  a  bushel  of  maize, 
weighing  70  lbs.,  could  be  bought  for  threepence.  Three 
bushels  of  rice  cost  ninepence.  The  market  was  well  sup- 
plied with  beef,  grain  and  fruit.  But  the  people  are  ex- 
tremely ignorant ;  and  the  great  among  them  are  very 
consequential.  They  live  in  a  secluded  corner  of  the 
country :  they  have  rarely  received  a  visit  even  from 
intelligent  men  among  their  own  nobles :  and  only  by 
rumours  does  any  thing  reach  them  from  the  great  outside 
world.  It  was  no  wonder  therefore  that  our  coming 
created  a  sensation.  Three  Englishmen  at  once  and  a 
village-full  of  travelled  fellow-countrymen  quite  turned 
their  heads.  They  were  full  of  curiosity,  and  watched  all 
that  we  said  and  did  with  keenest  eyes.  Our  folding 
chairs  amused  them  greatly.  Our  railway  rugs  and  striped 
blankets,  so  thick  and  warm  and  bright  coloured,  appeared 
to  them  truly  gorgeous.  Anything  so  warm  and  comfort- 
able as  our  tent  they  had  never  seen.  How  convenient  and 
full  of  wealth  our  boxes.  How  strong  our  water-cans ; 
and  as  to  our  spoons,  cups  and  enamelled  plates,  our  tea- 
pot and  our  boots,  they  were  wonderful  indeed.  We  had 
a  crowd  around  the  place  the  whole  time. 

Five  years  ago  there  was  only  one  man  west  of  Arivon- 
imamo,  who  professed  to  be  a  Christian  :  and  he  proved 
to  be  a  pretender.  The  old  heathenism  of  the  country 
was  unbroken.  The  petty  idols,  the  magical  charms,  lucky 
and  unlucky  days,  were  regarded  with  a  veneration  free 
from  doubt.  The  sovereign  of  their  country  was  looked 
up  to,  as  twenty  years  ago  a  Russian  peasant  regarded  the 


198 


LAKE  ITASY  AND 


Czar,  as  God  present  upon  earth.  Except  in  a  single  case, 
no  faithful  Christians  fled  hither,  during  the  days  of  per- 
secution, as  they  fled  to  Vonizongo.  There  was  no  silent 
teaching,  no  quiet  moulding,  of  public  and  social  life,  by 
the  words  and  the  example  of  martyrs,  which  other  dis- 
tricts and  towns  enjoyed.  Heathenism  remained  un- 
checked, unattacked,  unconquered.  But  when  the  idols 
were  burned  all  over  Imerina,  the  superstitious  regard  of 
the  great  people  for  their  Queen,  naturally  led  them  to  say 
to  their  dependents  and  slaves,  "We  must  pray,  as  the 
Queen  prays  : "  and  an  external  change  was  the  result. 
With  it  neither  the  missionaries  nor  the  public  authorities 
had  anything  to  do.  It  was  the  act  of  the  people  them- 
selves. Heathenism  had  taught  them  to  follow  their 
sovereign  in  every  thing :  and  external  heathenism  was 
ruined  as  the  result.  Mr.  Sewell  informed  us  that  when 
he  first  visited  these  people,  and  enquired  who  had  taught 
them,  what  did  they  know,  and  how  they  worshipped,  he 
could  get  no  replies.  He  gave  them  the  best  help  he 
could  find,  little  as  it  was  :  and  it  has  borne  'good  fruit. 
They  do  know  something  of  Christianity  now.  It  is 
difficult  to  secure  good  teachers  for  them.  The  district  is 
known  to  be  unhealthy  :  the  people  are  backward  in  every 
thing  :  life  is  rough ;  though  food  is  plentiful.  And  it  is 
only  on  the  missionary  principle  of  self-denying  labour  for 
the  Lord's  sake,  that  native  preachers  and  their  wives  can 
be  induced  to  settle  among  them.  One  such  teacher  and 
his  wife  we  saw  at  Mahabo.  And  the  bright  face,  the 
frank  manners,  and  the  clean,  white  dress,  showed  in  a 
moment  how  superior  they  were  in  the  range  of  their  life 
and  thought  to  the  people  among  whom  their  lot  was  cast. 


THE  VOLCANIC  DISTRICT. 


199 


One  thing  however  Mr.  Sewell  said,  had  sprung  from  this 
great  lack  of  instruction ;  which  he  observed  more  clearly 
every  visit  that  he  paid  them.  Knowing  that  others  have 
this  instruction,  the  longing  of  the  people  for  teachers,  for 
books,  for  Scriptures,  has  been  intensified.  We  could  see 
the  proof  of  this  ourselves.  We  had  seen  the  same  thing 
in  other  parts  of  the  country,  and  were  to  see  it  again. 
Indeed  among  all  the  phenomena  of  religious  life  in 
Madagascar  that  have  come  under  our  own  eye,  this  is  the 
most  prominent ;  that  the  ignorant  multitudes  of  Malagasy 
are  eager  to  learn  about  the  Christianity,  which  the  nation/ 
has  chosen  for  its  faith ;  and  that  they  make  the  most 
attentive  and  docile  scholars  that  any  Christian  mission- 
ary, English  or  native,  can  desire  to  instruct.  We  spent  a 
pleasant  Sunday  among  these  people.  The  chapel  was 
well  filled :  and  a  large  number  of  very  respectably 
dressed  men  and  women  were  present.  The  singing  was 
rough  :  and  a  style  of  bass,  which  faintly  resembles  a 
bombardment,  seemed  very  popular.  We  often  heard  this 
bombarding  bass  in  outlying  districts.  Mr.  Sewell  of 
course  conducted  the  service :  and  preached  the  gospel 
simply  and  to  most  attentive  listeners  in  connection  with 
the  story  of  the  raising  of  Lazarus.  He  also  gave  away 
many  books  in  answer  to  earnest  requests.  I  think  there 
are  no  parts  of  our  visit  to  Madagascar,  from  which  my 
colleague  and  myself  learned  so  much,  as  these  visits  to 
country  stations. 

It  was  during  our  visit  to  the  Mandridrano,  that  I 
received  the  impression,  afterwards  repeatedly  confirmed, 
that  one  of  the  most  beautiful  things  to  be  found  in  Mada- 
gascar is  its  grass.    This  grass  covers  many  thousands  of 


200 


LAKE  ITASY  AND 


square  miles.  It  is  beautiful  as  it  spreads  abroad  over  the 
open  plains,  where  it  is  short,  compact  and  juicy;  and 
supplies  abundant  nourishment  to  the  great  herds  which 
the  nobles  of  the  land  send  to  fatten  upon  what  costs  them 
nothing.  It  is  beautiful  in  the  sheltered  valleys,  where 
the  soft,  tender  blades,  enriched  by  the  pearly  dew  and 
the  gentle  rain,  are  refreshing  to  the  eye,  and  yield  like 
velvet  beneath  the  foot.  It  has  a  few  wild  flowers  self  sown 
among  its  roots :  but  has  nothing  of  that  profusion  of 
colour  and  variety  of  form  in  its  wild  companions  which 
render  the  flowering  plants  on  the  broad  straths  of  Switzer- 
land so  brilliant  to  the  eye,  and  such  poor  food  to  the 
cattle  which  consume  them.  But  the  grass  of  Madagascar 
is  in  its  glory  on  the  great  hills.  Burnt  year  after  year  by 
long  sweeping  fires,  it  springs  up  again  with  a  profusion 
and  a  fulness- which  clasp  huge  rocks  within  its  soft  em- 
brace. Here  it  is  short  but  strong :  there  it  rises  in  vast 
tufts,  each  of  which  contains  many  thousand  blades  and 
covers  many  feet  of  ground  :  and  yet  again  it  spreads  over 
vast  patches  of  country  in  thick,  tall  masses,  which  tower 
above  men's  heads,  open  their  tinted  blades  to  the  warm 
sun,  and  wave  their  myriads  of  golden  feathers  in  the 
summer  winds.  And  it  is  when  we  contemplate  this  rich 
but  simple  provision  of  the  divine  bounty,  when  wTe  watch 
these  masses  of  slender  blades,  each  tuft  a  forest  in  itself, 
clothing  with  beauty  what  man  has  neglected,  laying  up 
store  for  man  and  beast,  opening  their  golden  hair  to  the 
dews  by  night  and  the  warm  winds  by  day,  and  joyously 
revelling  in  the  life  given  them  from  above,  that  then  we 
can,  with  Mr.  Euskin,  appreciate  and  share  the  admiration 


THE  VOLCANIC  DISTRICT. 


201 


and  the  praise  given  by  the  Psalmist  to  Him  ''who 
maketh  the  grass  to  grow  upon  the  mountains." 

When  standing  on  the  lofty  height  overlooking  Lake 
Itasy,  we  looked  to  the  north  and  west  over  a  large 
number  of  strange  hills.  Mr.  Sewell  had  said  that  in  his 
judgment,  old  volcanoes  were  to  be  found  in  this  neigh- 
bourhood :  and  it  was  clear  to  us  as  we  stood  on  this 
commanding  position  together,  that  the  craters  were  before 
us.  One  of  them,  named  Ambohitrondry,  was  of  great 
height  and  width ;  outside  it  on  the  east  was  a  second, 
nearly  circular;  and  a  third  hung  on  to  that.  Beyond 
these  to  the  north  were  two  craters  of  moderate  size,  one 
of  them  double.  And  beyond  these  again  numerous 
others.  Some  were  hollow  craters ;  others  were  cones  of 
beautiful  shape :  and  all  were  richly  clothed  with  grass. 
At  our  second  station  nearer  the  lake  we  were  close  to  a 
lofty  crater  called,  Mangahafa,  and  could  look  into  it. 
Behind  Moratsiazo  was  another,  Isahadimy:  and  to  the 
west  of  this,  another  Tampoly,  with  a  fine  figure  of  a  sleep- 
ing lion  at  the  top.  All  these  we  carefully  noted,  and 
placed  in  our  maps. 

The  district  on  which  they  stand  lies  immediately  west 
of  Lake  Itasy  :  and  it  struck  us  that  the  eruption  of  these 
volcanoes,  by  elevating  the  land,  had  barred  the  way  of  the 
original  river,  had  submerged  the  level  plain  through  which 
it  flowed,  and  formed  the  Lake.  The  waters  must  have 
been  high,  until  they  found  an  outlet  on  the  north  and  west 
in  the  channel  of  the  present  stream. 

Passing  on  to  our  next  resting-place,  the  town  of 
Mahatsinjo,  we  went  under  the  slopes  of  Ambohitrondry 


202 


LAKE  ITASY  AND 


and  crossed  two  lines  of  lava  which  had  streamed  from  it 
in  its  active  days.  A  short  distance  on  we  passed  through 
a  cutting  in  the  lava  stream :  which  had  a  depth  of  twenty- 
feet.  To  the  south  of  this  cutting  we  had  four  grassy 
cones,  and  at  their  foot  a  small  lake,  Kazanga,  a  mile  long 
and  half  a  mile  broad.  Three  streams  run  into  it  from  the 
east  and  south ;  its  outlet  is  on  the  west,  where  the  water 
has  cut  its  way  through  a  thick  bed  of  lava  pebbles.  On 
the  following  day  we  ascended  a  lofty  hill,  a  little  to  the 
north  of  Mahatsinjo,  named  Ambohimailala,  and  found 
that  it  was  a  lava  cone.  It  gave  us  a  fine  prospect  of  the 
country.  There  were  other  cones  and  craters  to  the  north, 
amongst  which  was  Gasgea,  one  of  the  noblest  in  the 
group.  And  on  a  lower  level  of  the  land,  were  several 
others,  of  which,  later  in  the  day,  we  visited  two,  perfectly 
circular  craters,  with  dirty  greenish  lakes  at  the  bottom. 
On  continuing  our  journey  to  the  south,  we  passed  several 
others.  Altogether  we  counted  forty  cones  and  craters  in 
this  district  of  which  we  were  sure.  Some  were  of  enor- 
mous size,  with  lofty  walls,  conspicuous  for  many  miles  : 
others  were  small.  Many  were  of  horse-shoe  shape  :  a  few 
were  circular.  There  were  numerous  little  lakes  and 
bowls  among  them  ■  of  which  the  largest  was  Lake 
Kazanga,  which  we  believe  no  Englishmen  have  seen 
hitherto.  The  country  is  strewn  with  lava.  Here  and 
there  it  appears  in  huge  blocks  and  its  pieces  are  heavy : 
or  it  lies  in  layers,  at  times  perfectly  even,  at  times  twisted 
like  dough.  Vast  quantities  have  the  little  crystals  of 
olivine  in  their  tiny  cells.  The  spongy  lava  and  pumice 
have  disappeared.  The  colour  of  the  lava  was  in  some 
masses  a  bright  black :  in  others  a  pale  lead  colour :  all 


THE  VOLCANIC  DISTRICT. 


203 


over  this  district  brown  earth  and  mud  are  abundant :  and 
they  form  a  soil  very  different  from  the  gritty  red  clay,  the 
common  soil  of  the  island.  Here  and  there  we  saw 
conical  heaps  of  these  lava  stones,  piled  up  by  the  people, 
who  attach  to  them  a  superstitious  reverence.  We  saw 
more  of  the  volcanic  system  at  a  later  period  in  this 
journey. 

Mahatsinjo  we  found  to  be  no  common  town.  It 
stands  on  a  spur  of  a  long  clay  ridge,  the  upper  part  of 
which  is  overlaid  by  the  lava ;  and  is  a  place  of  some  im- 
portance. It  contains  three  hundred  houses,  many  of 
them  large  and  built  of  wood  with  reed-panels.  The 
houses  stand  on  "  terrace  upon  terrace  "  cut  into  the  slope 
of  the  hill.  The  rova  or  government  house  is  a  substantial 
dwelling.  The  population  is  unusually  numerous,  and 
reaches  to  probably  eighteen  hundred  :  we  were  told  there 
were  in  the  place  a  thousand  children.  As  with  their 
neighbours  in  this  Mandridrano  district,  the  people  are 
well  to  do  in  the  world :  their  cattle  are  numerous  and 
rice  and  corn  are  cheap.  Below  Mahatsinjo  on  the  south 
stretches  a  wide  and  level  rice  valley,  supplied  with  abund- 
ance of  water :  the  whole  is  under  careful  cultivation  and 
its  volcanic  soil  must  produce  enormous  crops. 

The  town  occupies  an  important  position.  Far  richer 
in  resources  than  Miadanamanjaka,  it  is  the  real  capital  of 
the  Mandridrano  district :  it  is  surrounded  by  cultivated 
fields  and  has  near  it  numerous  villages.  Indeed  the  dis- 
trict seems  to  have  gathered  a  population  of  its  own, 
settled  in  its  choicest  spots,  and  very  much  separated  from 
their  neighbours  in  Imamo.  It  illustrates  the  way  in 
which  Madagascar  (even  yet  but  partially  occupied)  has 


204 


LAKE  ITASY  AND 


been  peopled,  and  in  which  the  various  sections  of  one 
race  have  grown  up  independently  of  one  another.  There 
is  abundance  of  Christian  work  to  be  done  in  the  district, 
and  Mahatsinjo  will  prove  an  admirable  centre  for  that 
work,  with  several  sub-centres  around,  it.  Mr.  Sewell 
felt  with  us  that  it  would,  be  well  worth  while  for  the 
Friends  to  place  an  English  missionary  here.  The  people 
gave  us  a  warm  welcome :  they  eagerly  attended  Mr. 
Sewell's  Bible  classes  and  services :  and  earnestly  requested 
that  one  of  us  would  stay  and  live  amongst  them. 

Behind  the  hill  on  which  Mahatsinjo  stands  is  another 
broad  level,  covered  with  rice  fields,  and  having  many 
little  clusters  of  houses  (like  the  Betsileo  valas)  dotting 
its  surface  and  the  roots  of  its  bordering  hills ;  and  in  their 
midst  the  little  town  of  Ambalavato.  This  level  lies  below 
the  Imerina  plain  and  forms  part  of  the  first  terrace  toward 
the  west.  With  it  the  population  comes  to  an  end :  for 
one  day's  journey  beyond  scattered  houses  may  be  found ; 
then  for  three  days  a  traveller  must  sleep  in  tents  and 
carry  his  supplies  with  him.  The  district  reached  is  a 
veritable  Noman's  land,  with  the  Sakalava  tribes  on  the 
farther  side.  The  severity  of  their  ancient  raids  upon 
Hova  crops  and  Hova  cattle  has  prevented  quiet  people 
from  attempting  to  occupy  the  vacant  territory.  From  the 
lofty  heights  of  Ambohimailala,  we  looked  for  more  than 
twenty  miles  across  the  plains  of  red  clay.  They  were 
deeply  cut  and  scored  with  little  valleys :  and  at  a  distance 
were  long  and  lofty  ridges  running  north  and  south.  One 
of  these  Bongolava  ("  long  heaps  ")  denoting  a  long  ridge 
with  numerous  boulders,  is  said  to  be  visible  from  the 
west  coast :  and  three  lofty  peaks,  Ampanana,  Sapila,  and 


TEE  VOLCANIC  DISTRICT. 


205 


Ivohibe,  form  conspicuous  landmarks  for  recording  the 
geography  of  this  region. 

Both  at  Mahatsinjo  and  farther  south,  we  heard  much 
of  an  important  town  on  the  farther  side  of  Noman's  Land, 
named  Manandaza  ("  the  glorious  ").  It  was  described  to 
us  as  a  place  as  large  as  Mahatsinjo  and  as  populous.  It 
is  among  the  friendly  Sakalavas,  and  is  occupied  by  a  Hova 
garrison.  "  A  good  traveller  may  reach  it  in  five  days  :  a 
man  driving  cattle  will  take  a  week."  This  would  indicate 
that  the  distance  from  Mahatsinjo  must  be  about  seventy 
miles.  Judging  from  our  later  journeys  I  should  imagine 
that  the  town  will  be  found  on  one  of  the  rivers  running 
from  here  to  the  westward,  (probably  on  the  Kitsamby)  at 
the  point  where  it  quits  the  hills  to  cross  the  lower  plains 
to  the  sea.  It  must  be  seventy  miles  from  the  west  coast. 
There  is  a  large  church  in  the  town :  and  the  Hova  Chris- 
tians have  one  excellent  preacher  among  them.  Few  of 
the  Sakalavas  are  Christians. 

After  spending  several  pleasant  days  in  this  district,  on 
Wednesday,  April  22d,  we  turned  southward,  with  a  view 
to  visit  the  mission  station  of  Antoby  and  thence  go  on  to 
Betafo.  Hitherto  we  had  travelled  to  a  large  extent  along  the 
line  of  the  Imerina  valleys.  Now  we  were  to  cross  them  ; 
and  as  they  run  out  from  Ankarat  westward,  are  numerous 
and  often  deep,  we  had  rather  a  wearisome  time  until  we 
had  passed  over  the  clay  country  and  had  left  it  behind  us. 
We  passed  many  noble  hills  on  the  way.  Vinany,  a  grand 
towering  hill  of  gneiss,  proved  an  excellent  observing 
station  and  gave  us  a  fine  prospect  of  the  country.  Under 
another  noble  hill,  Antsarabe,  the  river  Kitsamby  comes 
down  from  the  roots  of  Tsi-afakafo.    We  found  it  a  fine 


206 


LAKE  ITASY  AND 


stream;  two  hundred  feet  broad,  three  and  a  half  feet  deep, 
with  a  current  of  two  and  a  half  miles  an  hour :  the  water 
was  thick  and  brown  with  clay.  Looking  up  stream  we 
saw  that  the  river  flows  through  a  fine  gorge  between  lofty- 
ridges.  To  the  west  it  passes  over  rapids  at  the  foot  of  a 
gneiss  hill,  and  far  out  on  the  plains,  it  receives  the  waters 
of  several  streams  and  then  flows  round  the  south  end  of 
the  great  ridge  of  Sapila  fifteen  miles  away. 

Climbing  again  to  the  level  of  the  plain,  up  a  long  basin 
beautifully  cut  out  of  the  clay,  we  crossed  successively  the 
Sahomby,  which  flows  out  from  the  Lake  of  Vinanynony : 
then  other  small  streams  :  then  the  Sahasahatra  which 
drains  the  north  side  of  the  Vava  Vato ;  a  rapid  river,  a 
hundred  feet  broad,  which  has  cut  through  everything  to 
the  primitive  rock.  A  lofty  hill,  Ambohitrolona,  gave  us 
a  fine  prospect  of  the  Kitsamby  river  and  the  western 
plains :  and  brought  under  our  eye  the  first  of  the  Hova 
military  stations,  under  the  Sapila  range.  Another  river 
of  clear,  sparkling  water,  the  Nangalana,  next  crossed  our 
road ;  followed  by  a  smaller  stream  deeply  coloured  with 
clay :  when,  tired  with  our  three  days'  climbing  up  and 
down  these  numerous  valleys  we  safely  reached  the 
Antoby  Mission-house,  on  Friday  afternoon. 

The  kind  welcome  of  our  friends  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clemes 
soon  made  us  forget  our  troubles  :  and  with  quiet  Sabbath 
services  we  enjoyed  in  a  double  way  a  sense  of  rest. 
There  is  no  town  at  Antoby.  The  Mission  is  planted  in 
the  midst  of  small  villages,  and  has  many  others  of  greater 
or  less  importance  at  various  distances,  as  out-stations. 
We  had  already  passed  several  of  these  and  saw  others 
during  our  visit.    At  the  same  time  we  thought  that  the 


THE  VOLCANIC  DISTRICT. 


207 


sphere  of  labour  is  a  limited  one ;  the  working  of  it  in- 
volves a  great  deal  of  toil :  and  it  is  only  peculiar  circum- 
stances, that  suggested  the  position  and  that  are  best  con- 
trolled by  an  English  missionary's  personal  influence, 
which  justify  the  appropriation  of  a  missionary  even  for  a 
limited  time,  when  larger  spheres  are  open  to  him.  The 
Mission-house  is  a  most  modest  dwelling,  simply  and 
neatly  furnished ;  and  though  too  small,  more  completely 
realises  my  idea  of  a  country  Mission-house  than  others 
which  I  have  seen. 

For  several  days  we  had  had  in  sight  the  great  granite 
mountains  of  the  Vava  Yato,  which  we  had  skirted  on 
their  eastern  side,  on  our  journey  to  the  Betsileo  province. 
The  lofty  serrated  crest  of  these  mountains  had  furnished 
us  with  conspicuous  points  for  our  survey.  On  the  west 
centre  were  the  noble  peaks  of  Iavohaikia  and  Ivohitany ; 
in  the  south  bend  was  the  peak  of  Mahasoa ;  and  on  the 
northern  curve  were  two  rounded  hills,  exceedingly  like 
elephants ;  one  very  large,  with  a  small  elephant  standing 
in  front  of  him.  These  points  occur  repeatedly  in  our 
survey  lists.  We  had  long  been  approaching  these  granite 
mountains :  the  single  line  first  seen  on  the  horizon  had 
broken  up  into  masses,  showing  different  ridges :  and  at 
Antoby  we  not  only  found  ourselves  close  to  them,  but 
Mr.  Clemes  assured  us  that  there  was  no  difficulty  in 
making  the  ascent  and  returning  the  same  day.  Our  men, 
fortified  for  extra  toil  by  an  extra  day's  pay,  entered  into 
the  scheme  with  spirit,  and  we  devoted  Monday  to  the 
expedition. 

We  started  at  half-past  seven  and  returned  by  half-past 
five  :  and  with  lovely  weather  and  a  clear  sky,  had  a  sue- 


208 


LAKE  ITASY  AND 


cessful  day.  We  penetrated  into  the  very  heart  of  the 
Vava  Vato  range  :  and  climbed  to  the  summit  of  Iavohaikia 
(7100  feet),  the  highest  peak  of  all.  We  found  that, 
counting  from  the  west,  the  mass  contains  three  ranges 
and  on  the  third  in  its  centre  is  Iavohaikia.  Behind  is  a 
fourth  range,  which  bends  to  the  south-east:  on  this  is 
Ivohitany.  The  first  three  ranges  run  south  for  three  miles, 
then  curve  and  end  with  a  western  front  in  the  mass  of 
Mahasoa.  To  the  north  these  ranges  bend  to  the  eastward, 
and  on  the  curve  of  the  third  and  highest  range  are  the 
two  elephants.  From  them  and  from  the  fourth  range, 
two  lofty  ridges  run  to  the  east  and  south-east :  with  fine 
grassy  alleys  between  them. 

This  mass  of  mountains  is  piled  up  upon  the  grandest 
scale.  Each  ridge  is  lofty  and  impresses  one  with  its 
greatness.  Who  can  adequately  describe  the  combination 
of  the  whole  ?  It  is  impossible  to  enter  into  details  ;  to 
picture  the  thousands  of  fallen  rocks ;  to  tell  the  size  and 
vastnessof  individual  rocks,  bigger  than  palaces  and  temples ; 
here  piled  upon  one  another,  there  scattered  in  profusion 
over  a  vast  space.  We  walked  beneath  them,  looking 
like  pigmies :  we  climbed  and  climbed  and  stood  upon 
them,  looking  like  flies.  Their  shapes  were  wonderfully 
fair :  their  combinations  and  massings  were  strangely  pic- 
turesque. Here  a  broad  grassy  level  lay  between  two 
ranges:  there  a  dark  narrow  way  passed  between  giant 
rocks  which  towered  high  into  the  air.  At  the  foot  of 
huge  square  pillars  which  might  be  formed  into  an 
Egyptian  temple,  we  took  our  refreshment  on  a  granite 
table :  the  water  everywhere  was  bright  and  pure.  No 


TEE  VOLCANIC  DISTRICT. 


209 


finer  rocks,  no  masses  of  such  surpassing  grandeur,  have  I 
seen  in  any  of  the  countries  which  I  have  visited. 

The  granite  of  these  mountains  is  of  pink  felspar,  of  fine 
grain  and  delicate  tint.  It  is  in  a  very  rotten  condition. 
Is  this  the  result  of  weather  only :  or  does  it  come  of  the 
fierce  heats  of  the  volcanic  region  by  which  it  is  entirely 
surrounded  ? 

The  district  in  which  we  were  now  travelling,  from  the 
Kitsamby  south  and  from  the  Vava  Yato  mountains  to  the 
sea  is  called  Menabe,  the  "  great  red "  land.  It  deserves 
the  name,  for  the  red  clay  is  most  conspicuous  on  all  its 
western  side.  The  population  continues  for  only  one  day's 
journey  to  the  west.  It  is  worthy  of  note  that  while  on 
the  eastern  edge  of  Imerina  the  first  descent  is  covered 
with  thick  forest  along  the  entire  line  of  country7,  the  first 
descent  on  the  west,  both  in  the  Mandridrano  and  Menabe, 
is  quite  bare  of  wood  :  the  terrace  below  for  at  least  fifteen 
miles  westward  is  bare  also.  There  is  brushwood  in  the 
hollows ;  but  there  is  no  forest  properly  so  called.  Farther 
south  on  the  western  edge  of  the  Betsileo,  M.  Grandidier's 
map  indicates  that  there  is  forest. 

We  now  looked  forward  to  a  visit  to  the  Norwegian 
Mission  Stations,  which  were  not  far  away ;  and  the  first 
of  which,  Ambohdiasina,  is  only  six  miles  south  of  Antoby. 
We  had  already  obtained  three  bearings  of  both  the  village 
and  the  Mission-house  from  various  points.  Taking  fare- 
well of  our  kind  hosts,  we  left  Antoby  on  Tuesday,  April 
28th,  and  had  a  pleasant  run  of  two  hours  and  a  half,  over 
the  clay  hills,  and  across  the  Ikokomy  river,  to  Ambohi- 
masina;  where  we  were  most  kindly  welcomed  by  Mr. 

Eganes  of  the  Norwegian  Mission :  and  joined  him  in  a 

o 


210 


LAKE  ITASY  AND 


late  breakfast.  Mr.  Eganes  has  lived  a  lonely  life  for  two 
or  three  years  at  this  distant  station :  "but  he  has  gathered 
round  him  the  apparatus  for  Christian  work :  has  built  a 
simple,  comfortable  dwelling-house,  and  school :  has  been 
learning  Malagasy ;  and  now  joined  by  a  good  wife,  who 
was  at  the  time  of  our  visit  on  her  voyage,  he  is  prepared 
to  devote  all  his  strength  and  time  to  the  instruction  of 
the  people  around  him. 

At  one  o'clock  we  set  out  for  the  station  of  Betafo,  dis- 
tant about  fifteen  miles.  The  journey  was  somewhat  long 
and  the  road  rough  and  unknown  :  but  the  bearers  were  as 
anxious  as  ourselves  to  arrive  before  dark,  and  they  stepped 
well  forward.  Mr.  Sewell  and  I  brought  in  the  rear  of  the 
party  just  before  six  o'clock  and  we  were  soon  comfortably 
housed  under  the  hospitable  roof  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eng.  I 
will  not  describe  the  details  of  our  journey :  but  the  ground 
over  which  we  had  travelled  is  in  many  respects  remark- 
able, as  illustrating  the  manner  in  which  the  present  sur- 
face of  Madagascar  has  been  formed. 

Our  course  from  Ambohimasina  was  south-east,  right  up 
the  valley  of  Betafo.  This  valley  is  in  shape  like  an  in- 
verted funnel :  at  the  western  mouth  it  is  five  miles  across : 
at  the  higher  and  eastern  end  it  is  a  mile  and  a  half  wide. 
It  is  enclosed  by  high  ridges  through  its  entire  length.  A 
fine  gneiss  ridge  overhangs  it  on  the  south.  On  the  north 
the  granite  mountains  of  Mahasoa  and  the  inner  ridges  of 
the  Vava  Vato,  hang  above  it  for  ten  miles :  then  follows 
a  low  gneiss  ridge  which  extends  to  Betafo.  The  floor  of 
the  valley  is  of  the  sedimentary  clay :  it  belongs  to  the 
upper  plateau  of  Imerina  and  would,  if  undisturbed  have 
descended  to  the  west  by  three  broad  stairs,  each  five  miles 


TEE  VOLCANIC  DISTRICT. 


211 


wide.  It  is  the  disturbances  from  which  this  enclosed 
valley  has  suffered,  that  give  it  its  peculiar  features  and 
make  its  physical  geography  a  subject  of  so  much  interest. 
Like  many  sections  of  Ankay  it  illustrates  in  miniature 
the  process  by  which  whole  continents  have  been  formed. 
Eirst,  at  its  upper  corner  on  the  south  side,  there  meet  two 
rivers,  the  Andrasay  from  the  east  and  the  Loalambo  from 
the  north  :  the  latter  brings  down  a  strong  body  of  water 
from  high  ground :  and  both  streams  under  the  name  of 
Loalombo,  have  cleared  the  clay  down  to  the  gneiss  rock, 
through  the  entire  length  of  the  valley  along  its  south 
side,  and  carried  the  soil  into  the  western  plains.  Five 
miles  below  their  junction  a  strong  stream  comes  out  from 
the  Vava  Vato,  called  the  Tsi-tanymalama,  "  not  a  slippery 
land  ;"  a  sensible  name,  given  by  some  Malagasy  traveller 
with  bare  feet,  when  he  was  passing  over  its  sharp  granite 
pebbles :  this  stream  cuts  the  great  valley  clean  across 
with  a  valley  of  its  own,  and  through  the  deep  gulley  flows 
into  the  Loalambo.  Below  this  again,  small  streams  from 
the  granite  have  made  numerous  minor  cuttings :  and  five 
miles  below,  a  second  river,  the  Sakova,  shallow  at  present 
but  strong  in  the  rainy  season,  does  the  same ;  cutting  the 
clay  with  beautiful  curves  and  leaving  a  high  bank  and 
ridge  overhanging  the  water  on  the  east  side.  All  the 
ledges  at  the  foot  of  these  ridges  are  studded  with  villages, 
and  hamlets,  and  in  the  centre  of  the  valley,  below  the 
Sakova,  is  the  village  and  Mission-house  of  Soavina, 
another  station  of  the  Norwegian  Mission,  On  the  north 
side  of  the  valley  is  a  series  of  clay  terraces,  beautifully 
formed;  and  numerous  hamlets  in  a  cluster  combine  to 
make  up  the  town  of  Ambaranakoho.    There  is  consider- 


212 


LAKE  ITASY  AND 


able  population  in  this  part  of  the  valley  and  more  than 
one  chapel  is  conspicuous  on  the  hill-side.  Near  the 
broad  mouth  of  the  valley,  though  the  clay  hills  are  nume- 
rous, the  general  level  that  has  been  reached  by  all  this 
cutting  and  washing  of  the  streams,  is  that  of  the  lower 
terrace  in  Menabe.  At  the  south-west  corner  of  the  valley, 
the  Loalambo  having  gathered  all  the  streams  into  itself, 
flows  full  and  strong  across  the  plains,  south  of  the  great 
peak  of  Ivohibe,  to  join  the  river  Mania. 

Our  visit  to  Betafo  was  made  most  pleasant  by  the 
great  kindness  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eng.  Mr.  Eng  has  now 
been  several  years  in  Madagascar  and  knows  the  district 
well.  He  has  suffered  greatly  from  the  local  fevers,  which 
re-appear  in  his  system  again  and  again,  and  keep  him  an 
invalid.  But  his  earnest  zeal  and  his  longing  desire  for 
the  welfare  of  his  people  render  him  a  valuable  member  of 
the  Mission.  His  position  is  one  of  great  usefulness.  The 
mission-house  stands  on  a  little  hill  in  the  midst  of  a  vast 
amphitheatre,  cut  out  of  the  great  valley,  at  its  upper  end, 
by  the  rivers  above  named ;  and  while  the  waters  run  free 
in  the  deep  beds  which  they  have  made,  the  sloping  banks 
around  the  vast  enclosure,  have  been  shaped  into  hundreds 
of  terraces  upon  which  rice  is  grown.  Villages  have  been 
placed  on  all  the  best  parts  of  the  higher  ground :  and 
within  sight  of  the  mission-house,  there  must  be  in  these 
villages  some  twenty  thousand  people. 

A  few  miles  to  the  east,  on  the  way  to  Sirabe,  is  a  broad 
plain,  also  rich  in  rice  fields.  Sirabe  itself  is  full  of  rice 
grounds.  So  also  is  the  Manandona  valley  to  the  south, 
which  we  had  already  traversed :  and  so  is  the  Lavadrano 


THE  VOLCANIC  DISTRICT. 


213 


plain  to  the  east.  There  is  no  lack  of  villages  and  people 
throughout  this  region.  The  district  lies  south-west  and 
south  of  the  Ankarat  mountains  :  and  among  the  Malagasy 
is  known  by  the  technical  name  of  Vakin'  Ankarat,  "  cut 
off  by  Ankarat."  It  contains  altogether  ten  thousand 
hetra  or  holdings,  and  these  are  believed  to  represent  a 
population  of  one  hundred  thousand  people.  Betafo  itself 
was  the  head  of  an  independent  kingdom,  the  fortress  of 
which  was  on  the  top  of  a  conical  hill,  on  the  south  of  the 
amphitheatre.  It  was  summoned  to  surrender  by  Eadama; 
and  yielded  itself  without  trouble.  The  district  has  since 
formed  an  integral  portion  of  the  Hova  dominions.  And 
on  her  journey  home  from  the  Betsileo  province,  the 
Queen,  with  her  camp,  turned  aside  to  Sirabe,  that  she 
might  meet  with  her  people.  As  at  Fianaran,  so  also  at 
Sirabe,  she  addressed  to  them  all  wise  and  stirring  words 
upon  the  subject  of  educating  their  children. 

The  district  forms  an  excellent  sphere  of  usefulness : 
and  it  is  occupied  by  the  Norwegian  brethren  in  force. 
They  have  established  nine  principal  stations,  occupied  by 
seven  missionaries.  The  people  have  been  somewhat  pre- 
judiced against  these  brethren,  as  not  being  Englishmen 
and  of  the  same  Society  as  those  who  first  instructed  them. 
But  they  are  overcoming  these  prejudices ;  and  Mr.  Eng 
assured  us  that  there  is  decided  improvement  in  their 
congregations  and  schools.  We  could  not  wish  it  other- 
wise. Trained  in  the  Evangelical  school  of  the  Norwegian 
Church,  these  brethren  are  anxious  to  work  in  harmony 
with  the  Eriends  and  ourselves:  questions  of  jurisdiction 
have  practically  been  settled  between  us.    And  we  can 


214 


LAKE  ITASY  AND 


truly  wish  them  God  speed  in  their  labours.  Their  recep- 
tion of  Mr.  Sewell,  my  colleague  and  myself  at  all  these 
stations  was  affectionate  and  cordial  in  the  extreme. 

At  Betafo  we  were  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  volcanoes 
once  more :  and  having  expressed  our  desire  to  examine 
them  carefully,  Mr.  Eng  kindly  offered  to  accompany  us. 
Ivoko,  the  noblest  of  all  the  craters  in  this  district,  was 
only  two  miles  from  the  house.  We  had  seen  it  from  far 
down  the  valley,  towering  above  the  country;  and  we 
were  anxious  to  climb  to  the  summit,  in  the  hope  that  by 
its  means  we  might  connect  the  eastern  and  western  lines 
of  our  survey  :  as  well  as  obtain  a  good  view  of  the  district 
at  large.  In  this  plan  we  found  complete  success.  But 
our  friends  had  resolved  that  we  should  have  ample  com- 
fort in  our  day's  work.  Abundant  provision  was  made  for 
our  wants :  the  children  of  the  family  were  delighted  to 
join  us :  and  a  large  number  of  the  Christians  of  Betafo, 
anxious  to  show  us  respect,  also  accompanied  us.  Our 
visit  to  the  Ivoko  crater  turned  out  a  pleasant  jaunt  rather 
than  a  day  of  toil :  and  under  a  bright  sky,  with  little 
wind,  it  yielded  us  thorough  enjoyment. 

We  had  a  good  climb :  the  total  ascent  being  eleven 
hundred  and  thirty  feet.  Our  native  friends,  used  to  hills, 
coolly  walked  right  up  the  steep  side,  and  thought  nothing 
of  it.  Others  of  us  took  the  more  gentle  ascent  or  were 
carried  by  our  men,  who  enjoyed  the  holiday,  as  much  as 
ourselves.  The  prospect  from  the  summit  was  truly  beau- 
tiful. Ivoko,  we  saw,  was  a  vast  crater,  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  across ;  the  encircling  wall  was  complete,  except  at 
the  south  where  the  opening  was  fifty  feet  wide.  The 
western  wall  is  higher  than  the  eastern.    Beneath  us,  half 


THE  VOLCANIC  DISTRICT. 


215 


a  mile  to  the  east,  was  another  crater,  Iatsifitra,  second 
only  to  Ivoko,  with  its  opening  to  the  north.  Long 
narrow  mounds  of  volcanic  rocks,  running  out  from  each 
of  these  hills  showed  the  course  taken  by  the  molten  lava 
streams.  Both  hills  were  covered  inside  and  out  with 
living  grass.  On  the  north-west  shoulder  of  Ivoko  were 
two  other  large  craters,  overhanging  Betafo  :  two  more  were 
close  by  at  the  north-east :  and  others  were  conspicuous 
ten  miles  to  the  north.  On  the  south  again  were  several 
others,  the  horse-shoe  shape  being  very  marked  in  all. 
While  ten  miles  to  the  south,  was  the  round  crater  of 
Tritriva,  with  a  green  lake,  deep  down  within.  Far  away  to 
the  east  were  other  craters  near  and  to  the  north  of  Sirabe. 

Our  survey  of  the  country  had  now  been  carried  along 
the  western  districts  of  Imerina,  and  thence  to  the  south  ; 
and  it  had  embraced  the  whole  country  lying  between  the 
Ankarat  mountains  and  the  great  ridges  and  peaks  of 
Menabe.  On  our  former  journey  we  had  laid  down  the 
inner  portions  of  the  Vakin  Ankarat;  Mr.  Cameron  had 
determined  the  latitude  of  Betafo,  Sirabe  and  Votovorona, 
nearly  in  a  line ;  and  we  had  examined  the  whole  eastern 
side  of  the  upper  plateau  from  the  capital  to  the  south 
border  of  the  Betsileo.  At  Ivoko  we  stood  midway  between 
these  separate  lines  of  observations  :  a  large  number  of  the 
principal  peaks  and  positions  were  in  sight;  and  we  enjoyed 
an  excellent  opportunity  of  comparing  them  together,  and 
testing  the  accuracy  of  our  own  work.  When  duly  worked 
out,  it  was  satisfactory  to  find  that  the  sets  of  observations 
were  consistent  with  one  another,  and  that  the  discrepan- 
cies were  few  and  within  small  compass.  It  is  from  these 
observations  that  our  Maps  have  been  constructed. 


216 


LAKE  ITASY  AND 


Descending  to  the  crater  of  Iatsifitra,  of  which  I  ob- 
tained a  photograph,  we  observed  that  the  lava  rocks, 
which  had  issued  from  it  to  the  north,  were  black,  sharp 
and  fresh,  as  if  they  had  been  broken  yesterday.  On  its 
eastern  side  was  a  plain,  a  mile  square,  covered  with  heaps 
of  broken  lava,  like  stone  cottages,  fortresses,  and  ruined 
palaces.  I  counted  thirty  greater  piles :  and  noted  number- 
less smaller  ones.  It  was  clear  that,  like  the  Phlegroean 
fields  in  Italy  and  the  neighbourhood  of  Mouna  Eoa  in 
Hawaii,  the  entire  plain  had  at  some  time  been  on  fire ; 
and  that  a  hundred  jets  of  fire  and  flame  and  molten  lava 
had  spurted  from  its  surface,  hurling  their  blazing  rockets 
into  the  sky.  The  heaps  were  now  old  and  moss-grown : 
but  one  of  the  peasantry  informed  Mr.  Sewell,  that  there 
was  a  kind  of  tradition  amongst  the  people,  that  their 
ancestors  had  seen  these  flames  bursting  forth.  They 
called  the  fire  dfo-to :  and  the  lava  kitroha. 

Near  to  Betafo  in  a  cutting,  ten  feet  deep  made  by  a 
stream,  I  observed  a  specimen  of  the  strata  formed  by  the 
successive  eruptions  of  these  volcanoes.  At  the  bottom 
were  lumps  of  lava,  somewhat  small.  Above  these  came 
several  bands  of  brown  earth :  then  one  of  black  earth  : 
above  this  several  strata  of  ashes,  and  of  lava  gravel: 
above  these  again  were  strata  of  earth.  Similar  strata  we 
had  seen  in  a  cutting  in  the  Mandridrano :  and  subse- 
quently saw  others  under  the  hill  of  Ivohitra  in  Sirabe. 

I  need  not  give  the  details  of  our  inquiries  and  their 
results  on  each  day  of  our  journey.  Travelling  farther 
east,  across  Sirabe  and  round  the  southern  end  of  Anka- 
ratra  we  had  the  lava  still,  with  long  tongues,  cinder  heaps, 
and  old  craters  again  and  again.    We  ascended  one  of  the 


THE  VOLCANIC  DISTRICT. 


217 


noblest  hills  in  the  country,  the  conical  peak  of  Votovorona, 
a  most  important  station  in  our  survey :  and  we  found  it 
to  be  volcanic.  Another  fine  cone  to  the  east  of  it,  Ihan- 
kian,  was  volcanic  also.  In  this  district  we  found  sixty 
of  these  cones  and  craters.  Altogether  in  this  important 
journey  we  saw  and  counted  a  hundred  extinct  craters, 
extending  over  an  arc  of  ninety  miles,  not  reckoning  the 
central  mass  of  Ankarat,  the  finest  of  all,  round  one  side  of 
which  this  great  arc  bends.  Even  these  do  not  exhaust 
the  tale.  The  volcanic  belt  appears  once  more  to  the 
northward  in  the  lofty  hills  with  which  the  island  ter- 
minates. The  peak  of  Mataola  is  volcanic.  Mount  Amber 
is  volcanic  :  the  renowned  fortress  close  to  it  is  an  ancient 
crater.  Xosibe  is  an  island  full  of  volcanoes.  Mayotta 
and  Johanna  in  the  Comoro  isles  are  full  of  craters,  lava 
peaks  and  lava  streams.  What  a  mighty  volcanic  force 
must  have  been  exerted  over  this  enormous  area !  Does 
Java  itself  show  a  more  wonderful  volcanic  field  ?  If 
human  eyes  could  have  beheld  and  appreciated  them, 
what  a  scene  of  indescribable  grandeur  must  have  been 
presented  when  these  volcanoes  were  active :  when  the 
land  was  rocked  with  earthquakes,  and  the  mighty  hills  of 
gneiss  and  granite  were  upturned  and  rent  in  pieces  :  when 
showers  of  blazing  rocks  shot  out  like  meteors  into  the 
lurid  night,  and  the  molten  lava  streams  flowed  like  red 
rivers  out  of  the  mouths  of  these  flaming  furnaces. 
Wonderful  in  the  history  of  the  earth  has  been  the  agency 
of  fire:  nowhere  can  that  agency  have  been  exhibited 
more  grandly  in  the  present  age  of  the  earth's  formation 
than  on  the  great  volcanic  field  of  Madagascar. 

Among  the  adjuncts  of  the  volcanic  field  we  found  four 


218 


LAKE  ITASY  AND 


hot  springs,  three  of  which  are  near  together  in  Betafo  and 
Sirabe.  The  temperature  of  the  spring  at  Betafo,  as  tried 
by  Mr.  Cameron  on  our  first  visit  was  130°  Fahr.  The 
water  seemed  perfectly  tasteless. 

In  three  places  we  also  found  jets  of  carbonic  acid  gas. 
Beneath  the  broad  and  level  plain  of  Sirabe,  extending 
over  fifty  square  miles,  there  is  evidently  a  great  deposit 
of  lime.  The  pits  of  Sirabe,  worked  by  the  government 
convicts,  supply  nearly  all  the  lime  used  for  building  both 
in  the  Capital  and  Imerina  at  large.  With  the  exception 
of  some  lime  deposits,  containing  satin  spar,  north  of 
Ankarat;  and  a  little  sandstone  in  South  Betsileo,  this 
lime  of  Sirabe  is  the  only  secondary  rock  we  met  with  or 
heard  of  in  the  upper  districts  of  Madagascar.  It  is  mas- 
sive lime  and  contains  no  fossils.  It  is  from  this  lime  that 
the  wells  of  carbonic  acid  gas  are  derived.  One  well  with 
numerous  jets  was  connected  with  a  filthy  mud  pool ;  the 
water  bubbled  all  over  the  surface  and  our  bearers  could 
not  imagine  why  it  remained  quite  cold.  In  a  second  case 
the  tubular  well  was  dry,  and  we  found  butterflies  and 
various  insects  dead  and  dying  around  its  mouth :  we  were 
told  that  frogs  and  mice  are  also  at  times  found  dead  there. 
Among  the  lime  pits  the  bubbling  springs  were  numerous. 
At  one  point  a  huge  tufa  rock  has  been  formed,  having 
caverns  with  stalactites  on  its  eastern  side.  On  the  top  of 
the  rock  there  is  a  natural  basin :  the  water  of  a  spring 
continually  flows  up  through  a  crevice,  bubbling  as  it  rises. 
And  thus  it  provides  neither  more  nor  less  than  natural 
soda  water,  of  which  we  could  drink,  as  we  liked,  without 
charge. 

During  our  journey  we  looked  everywhere  for  columnar 


THE  VOLCANIC  DISTRICT. 


219 


basalt :  but  failed  to  find  it.  We  saw  abundance  of  lava, 
great  and  small,  and  of  volcanic  earth :  but  of  columnar 
rock  there  seemed  to  be  none.  At  last  we  found  a  single 
patch  of  it,  about  fifteen  miles  north  of  Voto  Vorona.  It 
covered  a  space  of  thirty  feet  by  twenty :  the  columns 
were,  as  usual,  six-sided :  and  the  pillars  exposed  on  the 
edge  of  a  low  ridge  were  four  feet  long.  It  is  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  these  volcanoes  that  all  the  metals  and 
peculiar  earths  in  the  island  are  said  to  be  found.  A 
district  south-east  of  Sirabe  and  near  to  the  Mania,  is  said 
to  possess  copper.  Sulphur  in  small  quantities  is  found 
at  the  south  end  of  Ankarat,  The  lime  is  in  Sirabe  and  a 
little  of  it  north  of  Ankarat,  Iron  is  found  in  abundance 
in  the  hills  of  Amoronkay,  fourteen  miles  from  the  Capital 
and  to  the  east  of  Ankarat.  It  is  also  abundant  in  the 
lofty  mountain  of  Ambohimiangara  on  the  north-east 
corner  of  Lake  Itasy.  On  the  whole  the  native  metallic  ; 
supply  in  Madagascar  seems  poor  and  scanty. 

Journeying  from  Betafo  to  the  Capital,  we  paid  a  brief 
visit  to  the  mission  at  Masinandraina ;  skirted  the  little 
lake  of  Iraikiba,  the  scene  of  a  local  legend  of  the  Hero 
and  Leander  type ;  exhibited  the  bubbling  well  to  our 
astonished  bearers;  and  a  second  time  enjoyed  the  hos- 
pitality of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eosaas  at  Sirabe.  Thence  we 
journeyed  east  over  new  ground  to  the  broad  level  valley 
of  the  Lavadrano,  "  hollows  with  water and  received  a 
kind  welcome  from  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Xilsen  at  Loharano. 
With  Mr.  Nilsen,  we  climbed  Votovokona,  and  from  the 
summit  carefully  surveyed  the  country  on  all  sides.  The 
clear  view  furnished  us  with  several  connecting  links  of 
great  value  to  the  lists  of  observations  taken  hitherto. 


220 


LAKE  ITASY  AND 


We  saw  far  to  the  south  the  hill  overhanging  Ambositra  : 
we  saw  Ivohibe  to  the  west ;  and  to  the  north  had  several 
lofty  hills  of  known  position  a  few  miles  south  of  the 
Capital.  Votovorona  is  a  noble  conical  hill,  of  most  strik- 
ing appearance.  It  is  844  feet  in  height,  and  stands  on  a 
broad  base,  900  feet  across.  The  base  is  gneiss  :  the  cone 
proper  is  of  lava  rocks ;  one  stone  of  which  was  clinkstone 
with  a  decided  metallic  ring.  From  Votovorona  we  had 
a  clear  view  of  several  horse-shoe  craters  on  the  neighbour- 
ing moor :  and  the  long  valley  of  the  Lavadrano  was  be- 
neath us  in  all  its  length  and  breadth.  The  great  granite 
mass  of  Ibety,  south  of  Sirabe,  towered  high  over  the 
country. 

From  this  point  to  the  capital,  travelling  was  compara- 
tively easy.  We  were  on  the  high  plateau  of  Imerina. 
A  single  journey  on  the  Saturday  along  the  western  side 
of  the  plain  took  us  across  the  river  Elaborona  ("bird's 
wing  ")  just  where  it  joins  the  Onibe :  and  led  us  comfor- 
tably to  Ankisitra.  Here  we  rested  for  the  Sunday  and 
had  a  fresh  opportunity  of  observing  the  ignorance  of  our 
country  congregations  at  a  distance,  their  perseverance  in 
maintaining  worship,  and  their  willingness  to  receive 
instruction.  In  all  this  part  of  the  country  we  saw  no 
population.  Next  day  we  slept  in  the  chapel  at  Andra- 
raty,  at  the  foot  of  the  great  peaks  of  Ankarat.  We  took 
valuable  observations  from  lofty  hills :  but  for  two  days 
the  weather  baffled  our  attempt  to  climb  the  highest, 
Tsi-afa-zavona :  and  we  were  compelled  to  give  it  up. 
Crossing  the  lava  tongues  and  ridges,  at  Miantsoarivo,  we 
fell  into  our  former  track  on  starting  for  the  Betsileo. 
Again  we  passed  along  the  waters  of  the  Katsaoka  (here 


THE  VOLCANIC  DISTRICT. 


221 


called  the  Berimo)  and  of  the  Andromba  issuing  fresh  from 
the  lava;  and  reached  the  thick  clusters  of  villages  in 
South  Imerina.  Again  we  visited  Ambatomalaza,  with  its 
grand  turtle-head  rock.  We  had  completed  the  circle  of 
Ankarat,  had  enclosed  this  great  mass  of  mountains  within 
a  ring  of  observations,  connected  point  by  point.  We  had 
seen  and  visited  the  population  that  drink  of  its  waters. 
On  Thursday,  May  7th,  a  little  after  noon,  we  reached 
Antananarivo  once  more,  wearied,  but  safe  and  well. 

A  few  days  after  we  set  out  to  pay  a  brief  visit  to  the 
town  of  Ambohiveloma,  which  has  been  selected  as  a 
station  for  the  residence  of  an  English  missionary  in 
Western  Imerina.  The  place  is  situated  at  the  distance  of 
a  long  day's  journey  from  the  Capital.  Having  crossed 
the  Ikopa  and  rounded  the  great  hill  and  island  of  Ambo- 
hitramanjaka,  so  prominent  in  the  landscape  of  Imerina, 
we  rested  at  the  next  village  of  Anosimanjaka,  to  give  the 
men  breakfast.  And  here  we  met  with  a  singular  recep- 
tion. Mr.  Pillans  aud  I  were  alone ;  there  was  no  inter- 
preter to  help  us  in  our  intercourse  with  the  people. 
Putting  up  in  a  handsome  new  chapel,  not  yet  finished,  the 
elders  of  the  village  came  to  pay  their  respects :  the  chapel 
mats  were  speedily  spread,  and  things  were  put  in  prepa- 
ration. We  were  strangers  to  these  village  elders  :  they 
knew  that  we  had  come  across  the  sea  to  visit  the  native 
churches :  but  they  had  heard  rumours  that  we  were 
addicted  to  strange  proceedings,  which  they  did  not  under- 
stand, and  concerning  which  they  had  received  no  instruc- 
tions either  from  political  or  ecclesiastical  authorities. 
They  were  evidently  afraid  of  us :  they  were  therefore  cour- 
teous but  reserved.    After  a  few  inquiries  about  things  in 


222 


LAKE  ITASY  AND 


general,  whence  we  had  come  and  whither  we  were  going, 
the  reason  came  out.  "  In  travelling  about,  do  you  not  take 
pictures?"  "Yes,  we  have  made  many  pictures."  "Do 
you  not  write  down  the  country  and  the  churches  ?" 
"  Yes,  we  do."  They  looked  very  serious  over  these 
confessions :  and  eventually  the  oldest  goose  in  the  village 
and  two  little  pots  of  rice  were  deemed  a  fitting  present  for 
such  very  suspicious  visitors. 

Going  on  our  way  we  had  to  cross  the  Andromba,  now  a 
strong  stream,  eight  or  ten  feet  deep  and  sixty  yards  wide, 
bearing  the  waters  of  the  Katsaoka  as  well  as  its  own. 
Bridges  are  unknown  in  Madagascar  over  such  streams, 
and  we  must  cross  in  a  canoe.  The  only  canoe  available 
was  a  narrow  thing,  with  a  big  hole  in  it,  stopped  up  with 
lumps  of  turf,  and  leaking  considerably.  Besides  there 
was  not  a  single  paddle  to  propel  it.  What  matter  ? 
Some  luggage  and  a  few  bearers  were  put  into  the  gallant 
bark  :  and  the  ferryman  rowed  them  over  with  his  legs, 
using  first  the  right  foot  and  then  the  left,  that  the 
resultant  might  be  a  right  line !  The  party  landed  safe  : 
and  in  due  time  we  followed.  An  efficient  paddle  would 
have  cost  that  genius  one  farthing. 

Passing  well  to  the  north  of  Antongona  and  Ambohi- 
trambo,  we  kept  up  a  long  level  valley,  south  of  a  fine  hill 
that  was  new  to  us,  Ambohimanaha.  Again  we  crossed 
our  old  friend  the  Ombifotsy,  and  in  due  time  came  near 
the  Anonibe.    We  reached  our  destination  just  at  sunset. 

Ambohiveloma  is  a  country  town  of  unusually  striking 
appearance.  It  is  situated  on  the  top  of  a  clay  hill,  450 
feet  above  the  rice  plain  :  the  hill  slopes  up  rapidly  and  is 
deeply  scored  with  ditches  and  gullies  once  relied  on  as 


THE  VOLCANIC  DISTRICT. 


223 


fortifications.  The  town  contains  a  hundred  houses.  Two 
large  and  well-built  houses  stand  at  the  top  of  the  town, 
which  belong  to  the  principal  family  in  the  place,  and  near 
them  are  the  family  tombs.  Indeed  the  tombs  are  royal, 
one  of  the  old  kings  of  the  district  being  buried  here. 

o  o 

There  are  other  houses  about,  enclosing  plenty  of  space  : 
and  the  hill  is  covered  with  trees.  The  chapel  is  rather  a 
small  building,  unworthy  of  the  place  and  people  :  but 
that  defect  will  soon  be  remedied.  We  found  in  it  a  school 
of  thirty-five  children.  It  has  been  arranged  that  the 
missionaries  coming  to  occupy  Ambohiveloma  shall  re- 
arrange these  two  principal  houses,  and  reside  in  them 
while  the  permanent  English  house  is  being  built,  on  the 
northern  slope  of  the  hill. 

Ambohiveloma  is  surrounded  by  fertile  rice  valleys  well 
supplied  with  water.  It  is  therefore  the  centre  of  a  large 
population  ;  villages  and  hamlets  are  seen  in  all  directions 
on  the  little  terraces  of  the  hills  above  the  fields.  A  hundred 
such  are  found  within  a  few  miles  and  some  of  the  villages 
are  large.  Beyond  these  villages  on  all  sides  the  popula- 
tion is  thin  ;  even  on  the  east  as  well  as  north  and  south. 
And  as  the  ancient  kingdom  that  was  established  here 
stood  isolated  from  others,  so  the  new  Mission  district 
about  to  be  arranged  for,  will  have  a  sphere  of  its  own  and 
be  to  a  considerable  extent  separated  from  others.  Never- 
theless it  has  the  prospect  of  much  usefulness. 

On  the  following  day  we  ascended  a  lofty  hill,  named 
Ambohimalaza,  four  miles  to  the  south-west  of  Ambohive- 
loma :  and  had  a  fine  view  of  this  western  part  of 
Imerina.  We  stood  in  a  new  position  just  between 
districts,  to  the  south  and  north,  over  which  we  had  slowly 


224 


LAKE  ITASY  AND 


travelled.  Many  of  our  great  landmarks  were  in  sight  and 
were  distinctly  seen  in  the  clear  air.  Lohavohitra  to  the 
north  :  Ambohimiangara  to  the  south-west :  Tsiafakafo  and 
the  peaks  of  Ankarat  :  Ambohimanaha,  and  others  even 
more  distant,  were  prominent  points  in  the  outstretched 
landscape.  We  saw  also  two  noble  granite  masses  in  the 
north-west,  Ambohitrondrona  and  Antaramanana,  which 
have  lofty  serrated  peaks  and  resemble  in  many  respects 
the  granite  ridges  of  the  Yava  Vato  and  of  Ibety. 

During  the  day  we  observed  many  beautiful  butterflies 
about  the  hill :  and  several  were  brought  to  us  by  the 
children,  pinned  to  a  small  stick  by  a  thorn.  They  were 
beautifully  marked  with  green  and  black  and  gold.  The 
day  closed  with  one  of  the  finest  sunsets  I  have  seen  in 
the  East.  As  we  stood  on  the  platform  at  the  top  of  the 
hill,  we  had  an  immense  territory  under  our  eyes.  The 
whole  was  lighted  up  by  the  departing  sun  with  a  gorgeous- 
ness  and  splendour  indescribable.  The  colour  of  the  whole 
was  a  rich  golden  red.  Every  hill  and  valley,  high  and 
low,  was  bathed  in  the  glowing  radiance,  which  seemed 
not  of  earth  but  of  heaven. 

On  our  return  home,  we  bent  our  course  a  little  to  the 
northward  that  we  might  visit  the  falls  of  the  Ikopa. 
These  falls  are  not  only  very  striking  in  themselves,  but 
the  barrier  reef  over  which  the  river  leaps  occupies  a  most 
important  position  in  the  economy  of  the  province.  The 
sedimentary  clay  of  Madagascar  yields  so  readily  to  the 
action  of  water,  and  is  so  speedily  scored  into  gullies  and 
ravines,  that  if  it  had  nothing  to  stay  its  course,  broad 
plains  would  be  impossible ;  only  long  and  narrow  rice 
cultivation  would  be  practicable.    The  truth  of  this  we 


THE  VOLCANIC  DISTRICT. 


225 


have  seen  again  and  again  in  the  scored  and  riven  districts 
of  Menabe  and  Ankay,  where  it  is  difficult  to  find  level 
ground.  On  the  western  side  of  Imerina,  at  the  point  to 
which  the  line  of  its  drainage  by  the  Ikopa  tends,  there  is 
in  God's  good  providence  a  remarkable  reef  of  hard  gneiss 
rocks.  This  reef  retains  the  waters  of  the  river  at  a  certain 
fixed  height.  Age  has  passed  after  age,  generation  after 
generation :  but  the  waters  remain.  The  clay  hills  of 
Imerina  have  been  melting  away ;  but  the  silt  at  their 
feet,  and  the  rich  soil  that  has  been  formed,  have  only 
found  a  more  perfect  level.  They  cannot  be  wasted  and 
washed  away,  over  the  stern  barrier  which  retains  the 
waters :  and  so  the  plain  of  Imerina,  twelve  hundred  square 
miles  in  size,  has  only  grown  richer,  as  its  swamps  were 
cleared  of  reeds,  and  has  become  more  fit  to  feed  the  mul- 
titudes of  people  that  cluster  in  the  hundreds  of  villages 
which  stud  its  fertile  bosom.  A  similar  reef  of  rocks  at 
Sinjoarivo  retains  the  waters  of  the  Onibe  in  the  Ankisitra 
plain :  and  yet  another,  the  winding  stream  of  the  Man- 
antanana,  which  waters  though  imperfectly  the  broad  basin 
of  Ambohimandroso.  It  is  due  entirely  to  these  rocky 
barriers  that  this  rich  silt  and  the  fertilising  streams, 
which  support  a  million  lives  have  found  a  secure  resting- 
place,  four  thousand  feet  above  the  sea. 

The  Farahantsana,  or  reef  of  the  Ikopa,  lies  at  a  point,  a 
few  miles  north-west  of  Ambohimanoa  and  immediately 
south  of  VonizOngo.  We  struck  the  river  a  little  above 
the  reef,  where  it  bends  round  to  the  north ;  and  we  clam- 
bered over  the  rocks  beyond,  until  we  stood  on  a  projec- 
tion of  the  bank,  opposite  to  the  falls.  The  reef  is  two 
hundred  yards  in  length ;  and  the  rocks  are  piled  on  one 


226       LAKE  ITASY  AND  VOLCANIC  DISTRICT. 

another  in  a  solid  mass,  while  hundreds  more  lie  struggling 
in  the  waters  in  the  bed  below.  The  Farahantsana  is  the 
second  fall;  there  being  a  smaller  fall  with  numerous 
rapids  half  a  mile  above.  In  the  chief  fall  there  are  two 
passages  for  the  water,  and  the  height  of  the  fall  is  fifty 
feet.  Once  over  they  boil  and  foam  and  hurry  onward, 
taking  a  second  leap  a  little  below,  and  foaming  over  great 
boulders  rush  down  the  rocky  ravine  toward  the  sea.  The 
scene  is  in  many  ways  one  of  great  beauty.  I  was  glad  to 
secure  two  photographs  of  it,  the  one  facing  the  fall,  the 
other  looking  down  the  ravine. 

After  examining  and  enjoying  the  scene,  we  went  to 
tiffin  in  what  appeared  to  be  a  pretty  looking  cottage,  on 
one  of  the  islands,  and  embowered  in  trees.  It  proved  to 
be  a  Malagasy  house  of  the  usual  order,  dirty,  disorderly, 
with  a  clean  mat  or  two  vainly  endeavouring  to  hide  what 
was  beneath.  Of  course  while  we  rested  the  inevitable 
chickens  would  come  between  our  feet,  and  carry  away 
everything  that  their  hungry  little  beaks  could  grasp. 
The  next  day  we  returned  to  the  Capital :  having  made 
large  additions  to  our  knowledge  of  the  details  of  Imerina 
geography,  during  this  little  journey  of  four  days. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


THE  SIHANAKA  PROVINCE  AND  PEOPLE. 


Special  reason  for  a  visit  to  this  Province — Crossing  the  Granite  Moors — 
Easin  of  the  Mananara — Anjozorobe  and  its  People — Spend  Sunday 
with  them — "The  Gate  of  Rock" — The  Wilderness  of  Ankay — 
Capital  of  the  Sihanaka,  its  Governor  and  People — Christian  work 
and  the  Native  Pastor — Tour  round  the  District — Ambohidehilahy — 
Ambodinonoka — Petulance  of  our  Bearers — The  great  Swamp  and  its 
Reeds — Ambohitromby — Reception  at  Ambohipeno — Amparafaravola 
and  its  kind  Governor — A  Volcanic  Hill — Ambohijanahary — Ambohit- 
sara — Enquiries  about  the  Gun — The  Alaotra  Lake  and  the  Scenery 
around  it — Marosalazana  and  its  bright  Scholars — Memorials  of  the 
Dead — Whence  came  the  Sihanaka  People — How  they  became  Chris- 
tians— What  the  Gospel  is  doing  for  them — Form,  Extent  and  Popu- 
lation of  the  District. 


CHAP  TEE  VIII. 


THE  SIHANAKA  PROVINCE  AND  PEOPLE. 


The  Sihanaka  province,  to  which  our  steps  were  next 
directed,  has  hitherto  borne  an  evil  reputation  as  a  hotbed 
of  fever.  But  there  were  strong  reasons  which  made  it 
imperative  for  us  to  see  the  place  and  its  people.  Good 
work  had  been  done  there.  The  people  needed  a  visit. 
Only  one  of  the  missionaries  knew  anything  about  them, 
the  Eev.  J.  Pearse,  now  in  England,  and  he  had  offered, 
with  singular  devotion  and  self-denial,  to  give  up  all  the 
comfort  of  his  settled  ministry  in  Antananarivo,  and  help 
"  the  sheep  in  the  wilderness,"  far  distant  from  their 
brethren.  For  the  satisfaction  of  his  colleagues,  for  the 
satisfaction  of  the  Directors,  it  was  necessary  that  we 
should  see  his  chosen  field  and  give  our  judgment  respect- 
ing it.  At  the  last  moment,  we  received  a  kind  message 
from  the  Prime  Minister,  informing  us  that  small-pox  had 
broken  out  in  the  Sihanaka  district ;  and  though  he  left  us 
at  perfect  liberty  to  proceed  thither,  he  desired  at  least  to 
warn  us  that  we  might  be  on  our  guard.  We  thanked 
him  for  his  kindly  caution,  and  assured  him  and  the  Queen 
that,  though  we  felt  obliged  to  pay  the  visit,  we  would 
watch  with  care  over  our  men,  and  do  our  best  to  bring 


230 


THE  SIHANAKA 


them  back  in  safety.  Under  God's  blessing  we  escaped  all 
harm;  and  our  fifty-four  bearers  and  servants  returned 
with  us  to  the  Capital  strong  and  well. 

We  were  to  be  absent  three  weeks.  We  carried  with 
us  one  of  the  large  tents ;  our  portable  beds,  canteen, 
camera,  surveying  instruments,  clothing  and  stores,  with  a 
good  supply  of  Malagasy  books :  and  our  Camp  formed  a 
very  compact  and  manageable  body  of  men.  The  Eev.  J. 
Sibree  was  our  companion ;  and  by  his  thorough  know- 
ledge of  Malagasy  and  the  readiness  of  his  help,  rendered 
us  great  service.  Mr.  Sibree  is  a  practised  surveyor  ;  and  in 
consequence  we  were  able  to  secure  on  this  journey  a  double 
set  of  observations  for  the  mapping  of  the  new  country. 
On  Wednesday,  June  17th,  we  left  the  Capital  for  Ambo- 
himanga,  Mr.  Sibree's  station,  twelve  miles  across  the 
plain,  which  we  reached  by  five  o'clock.  The  Queen  and 
Court  were  still  there,  enjoying  the  quiet  of  this  royal 
city :  and  before  an  hour  had  passed,  one  of  the  officers 
came  down,  to  express  on  the  part  of  all  their  good  wishes 
for  a  safe  and  prosperous  journey,  and  with  kindly  thought- 
fulness  to  add  a  few  comforts  to  our  stores.  Our  men  too 
found  themselves  among  relatives  and  friends ;  and  were 
so  lost  in  rice  and  beef  and  general  hospitality,  that  it  wa 
with  difficulty  we  recovered  them  the  following  morning, 
in  anything  like  proper  time. 

The  first  portion  of  our  journey  on  Thursday  led  us  into 
a  fine  cluster  of  villages  and  churches  on  the  edge  of  the 
great  northern  moor,  and  three  hours  distant  from  Ambo- 
himanga:  and  here  our  men  rested  for  their  morning 
meal.  Eesuming  our  road  we  soon  left  all  population 
behind.    The  moor  was  high,  bare  and  cold.    It  was  not 


PEOVIXCE  AXD  PEOPLE. 


231 


a  level ;  but  was  scored  into  lines  of  low  hills,  the  forms 
of  which  were  full  of  beauty.  We  crossed  the  Zabo,  the 
fountains  of  which  we  had  seen  among  the  round  hills  of 
Ambatovory  and  Angavokely,  many  miles  to  the  south- 
east :  it  has  a  strong,  full  stream  of  water  and  is  one  of 
the  four  chief  tributaries  which  form  the  Betsiboka  river. 
All  day  on  these  high  lands  the  south-east  wind  blew  hard 
and  cold,  and  our  poor  bearers  suffered  greatly.  At  five 
o'clock  we  reached  Ambatomainty,  a  village  of  twelve 
houses,  but  without  house  or  chapel  in  which  we  could 
rest.  Our  tent  was  soon  set  up ;  and  bravely  stood  the 
wild  wind  which  blew  all  night,  And  when  we  were 
fairly  enclosed,  and  the  tea-table  was  duly  arranged  (on 
three  overland  trunks)  we  felt  snug  and  comfortable.- 

On  Friday  morning  a  thick  fog  lay  on  the  hills  and  we 
could  scarcely  see  our  road.  When  it  lifted  we  saw  on 
the  east  of  the  Ambatomainty  ridge  a  long,  unbroken 
valley  coming  from  the  moors  on  the  south-east  and  going 
away  north-west,  full  of  rice,  and  drained  by  the  Tsarasa- 
hatra,  which,  like  the  Zabo,  has  its  springs  in  the  buttresses 
of  Angavokely.  At  this  point  both  rivers  are  small.  Xear 
by  are  two  small  villages,  Mangatany  with  one  of  our 
churches ;  and  Andrainarivo,  with  a  Boinan  Catholic 
chapel.  Then  came  three  beautiful  patches  of  wood; 
"  Boulder  Glen ; "  and  a  small  stream  with  two  cascades. 
High  hills,  covered  with  wood  showed  themselves  to  the 
east.  After  a  journey  of  fifteen  miles  over  a  country 
thoroughly  bare  and  unpeopled,  we  mounted  a  lofty  hill, 
Arnbohitsitakatra,  which  gave  us  a  fine  prospect  on  every 
side.  We  fixed  its  position,  with  ease,  by  bearings  from 
seven  of  the  principal  hills  of  Imerina :  and  made  it  the 


232 


THE  SIBANAKA 


starting  point  of  new  positions  to  the  north  and  west.  On 
the  west  we  had  the  deep  valleys  of  Anativolo  :  and  the 
high  hill  of  Vohilena.  On  the  south-east  was  the  lofty 
cone  of  Ambohitrakoholahy,  above  the  Beforona  Wall:  and 
to  the  east  lay  a  great  gneiss  ridge  coveied  with  forest, 
which  forms  the  western  boundary  of  Ankay. 

One  interesting  feature  of  our  position  was  this.  The 
gneiss  hill  on  which  we  stood  is  on  the  watershed  of  the 
island :  it  forms  part  of  the  edge  of  the  great  granite  moors, 
which  go  south  to  Angavokely :  and  beneath  us  on  the 
east,  was  a  broad  basin,  scored  in  all  directions,  a  portion 
of  that  vast  sedimentary  clay  region,  which  forms  Ankay. 
It  looked  like  network.  This  basin  is  drained  by  the  river 
Mananara ;  it  is  enclosed  between  gneiss  ridges  :  is  full  of 
rice  fields  and  has  a  large  cluster  of  villages.  Early  in  the 
afternoon  we  reached  the  village  of  Anjozorobe ;  and  took 
up  our  quarters  in  its  neat  chapel. 

The  place  was  wholly  unknown  to  us.  We  had  only  its 
name  in  Grandidier's  map  and  on  our  list  of  native  church 
stations.  It  proved  a  spot  full  of  interest.  The  pastor  of 
the  church  was  a  devoted,  active  worker ;  the  school  chil- 
dren were  full  of  life  and  intelligence  ;  and  the  congrega- 
tion and  its  neighbours  were  striving  to  make  progress  in 
the  knowledge  and  practice  of  their  new  faith.  They  gave 
us  a  warm  welcome  :  and  as  they  had  not  seen  an  English- 
man's face  for  five  years,  and  entreated  us  to  spend  the 
Sabbath  with  them,  we  had  no  difficulty  in  so  doing. 

Saturday  was  a  busy  day.  Mr.  Sibree  examined  the 
school  children.  We  visited  together  a  high  hill  to  the 
northward  to  take  bearings  :  photographed  the  village  and 
the  ravine  of  the  river  ;  and  attended  to  a  large  number  of 


PROVINCE  AND  PEOPLE. 


233 


patients.  The  village  is  built  on  a  high  clay  hill :  it  con- 
tains seventy  houses  with  a  population  of  less  than  four 
hundred  souls ;  and  the  usual  complement  of  fowls  and 
pigs.  The  prospect  from  the  chapel  was  very  fine.  To 
the  north  were  high  wooded  hills.  Beneath  us  to  the  west 
was  the  basin  of  the  river,  which  wound  through  it  with 
the  most  graceful  bends :  and  the  edges  of  the  basin,  and 
its  numerous  cuttings  were  curved  with  such  beautiful  lines, 
as  made  it  certain  that  the  place  had  been  formed  by  run- 
ning water,  and  was  at  one  time  a  portion  of  a  great  lake. 
The  river  Mananara  is  here  a  hundred  and  fourteen  feet 
wide,  from  two  to  five  feet  deep,  and  runs  with  a  strong 
and  rapid  stream.  It  is  crossed  by  a  fixed  bridge  in  two 
spans  :  each  span  being  composed  of  three  balks  of  timber 
of  a  scantling  of  eighteen  inches  by  sixteen.  We  had  seen 
the  fountains  of  this  fine  river  near  Ambatomena :  where 
they  water  one  of  the  largest  rice  fields  in  all  Imerina  and 
feed  some  five  thousand  human  beings.  We  found  with 
interest  that  the  population  of  this  basin  are  closely  con- 
nected with  the  people  of  Ambatomena  and  its  neighbour- 
hood. 

We  spent  a  delightful  Sunday  with  them.  At  the  out- 
set came  some  twenty  patients,  suffering  chiefly  from 
chills  and  fever.  The  congregation  was  large  for  the  place, 
and  additions  from  distant  villages  kept  coming  in  till 
near  the  close  of  the  service :  when  the  place  was  thorough- 
ly filled  with  over  three  hundred  people.  Our  "native 
chaplain,"  who  had  helped  us  so  much  on  the  Itasy 
journey,  preached  the  first  sermon :  then  Mr.  Sibree  took 
for  his  text  "  God  so  loved  the  world,  that  He  gave  His 
only  begotten  Son."    Very  earnest  and  intelligent  listeners 


234 


THE  SIHANAKA 


did  the  people  prove.  One  could  not  look  upon  their 
devout  demeanour,  their  clean  dress,  the  self-respect  mani- 
fest in  the  faces  of  both  men  and  women,  and  hear  the 
correct  answers  given  by  them  to  their  instructor,  without 
feeling  what  a  powerful  influence  the  gospel  exercises,  in 
elevating,  controlling  and  sanctifying  all  life.  For  five 
years  pastor  and  people  have  been  left  to  themselves,  to 
the  teaching  of  the  Spirit,  the  teaching  of  His  Word  :  and 
this  was  the  result.  In  the  afternoon  we  all  went  over  to 
Ambohiveloma  a  flourishing  village  two  miles  to  the  west- 
ward :  and  found  another  good  congregation,  with  a 
number  of  intelligent  and  devout  young  men.  Away  to 
the  south  is  the  village  of  Antoby,  where  lives  a  good  old 
blacksmith,  who  has  been  the  means  of  drawing  a  large 
number  of  people  to  the  Saviour.  Both  in  the  morning 
and  afternoon  Mr.  Sibree  and  our  chaplain  taught  the  con- 
gregations two  new  hymns  and  tunes,  which  have  just 
come  out  in  the  Capital  and  with  which  they  were  greatly 
delighted. 

On  Monday,  June  22d,  we  resumed  our  journey  early : 
and  towards  midday  approached  the  great  inner  belt  of 
forest,  which  occupies  so  conspicuous  a  position  in  the 
geography  of  the  country.  It  forms  the  western  boundary 
of  Ankay ;  appears  in  wonderful  loveliness  at  Angavo ; 
and  continues  in  unbroken  grandeur,  west  of  the  Tanala, 
and  as  far  south  as  Ambondrombe.  It  is  not  forest  alone ; 
it  is  a  great  gneiss  wall,  running  down  the  entire  length  of 
the  country,  the  edge  of  the  upper  plateau  of  the  island : 
and  the  forest  clothes  and  beautifies  it.  Xear  its  inner 
side  we  crossed  the  branches  of  the  small  river  Mananta, 
another  feeder  of  the  Betsiboka,  running  north-west.  We 


PROVINCE  AND  PEOPLE. 


235 


crossed  the  ridge  by  a  noble  pass,  Ambarabaram-vato,  the 
"gate  of  rock."  A  climb  of  five  hundred  feet  from  the 
clay  plain  brought  us  to  the  summit,  a  narrow  ledge,  about 
three  yards  wide  :  from  whence  we  had  an  extensive  view 
over  the  Ankay  plain,  as  well  as  over  the  basin  we  had 
just  quitted  and  its  continuation  to  the  west.  We  found 
that  the  hill  on  which  we  stood  had  a  second  summit  a 
short  distance  away,  called  Ambohimila.  We  took  im- 
portant observations,  to  fix  the  hill :  and  through  all  our 
trip,  its  two  lofty  peaks  proved  a  conspicuous  landmark  to 
which  other  points  might  be  referred.  We  descended  by  a 
natural  staircase  of  huge  granite  blocks  :  then  reached  the 
clay,  which  was  very  wet  and  slippery ;  crossed  a  low  clay 
ridge,  covered  with  forest,  through  which  our  palankins 
with  difficulty  found  a  way  ;  and  at  last  came  into  a  fine 
long  valley,  bordered  with  noble  hills,  whereon  the  forest 
seemed  thicker,  richer  and  more  lovely  than  ever.  The  total 
descent  from  the  crest  of  the  hill  was  1280  feet.  It  will  be 
remembered  that  at  Angavo  (a  point  on  the  same  wall 
further  south),  our  ascent  was  1206  feet.  On  the  outer 
side  of  the  wall  we  observed  hundreds  of  rounded  but- 
tresses, with  deep  inlets  between. 

Though  we  had  reached  a  comparative  level  and  had 
rice-fields  around  us,  we  looked  in  vain  for  a  village, 
where  our  men  might  get  their  first  meal.  And  it  was 
two  o'clock  before  we  halted  at  a  little  cluster  of  twelve 
houses,  significantly  named  Mandanavatsy,  "get  your 
tiffin."  To  travellers  coming  from  the  Sihanaka  territory, 
in  the  direction  opposite  to  our  own,  it  conveys  the  ex- 
cellent advice,  "  Make  a  good  meal  before  you  go  farther ; 
you  will  find  nothing  to  eat  for  hours."    We  took  the  ad- 


236 


THE  SIHANAKA 


vice  on  the  way  back.  Having  rested  for  two  hours,  we 
continued  our  journey ;  and  winding  round  and  through 
richly  wooded  hills,  we  came  at  sunset,  to  a  clump  of  seven 
houses,  called  Ambatolampy,  with  a  few  others  scattered 
about.  In  one  or  two  huts,  now  deserted,  there  had  been 
cases  of  small-pox,  but  the  men  carefully  avoided  them. 
Where  they  all  found  accommodation,  I  was  afraid  to  en- 
quire. I  only  know  that  our  three  servants  slept  somehow 
within  the  photograph  tent,  four  feet  square.  We  had 
the  eleven  feet  for  ourselves ;  and  had  it  not  been  for  the 
mosquitoes  might  have  slept  comfortably. 

During  the  next  two  days  we  were  still  in  Upper  An- 
kay.  In  general  the  centre  ridges  were  level;  but  the 
plain  was  deeply  scored  by  the  streams ;  the  gullies 
having  a  bend  to  the  north-west.  Here  and  there  were 
high  hills,  which  we  used  as  surveying  stations  :  and  from 
one  of  which  we  had  a  fine  view  of  the  east  wall  of  Ankay 
and  the  valley  of  the  Mangoro  river.  The  head  waters  of 
that  river  were  close  to  our  hill.  As  we  proceeded,  we 
came  upon  one  village  and  then  another,  peopled  by  the 
Sihanaka.  The  women  were  fair,  and  had  necklaces  and 
ornaments  of  beads  and  coral :  both  men  and  women  had 
numerous  strands  or  plaits  in  their  hair.  These  villages 
smelt  badly  of  the  native  rum  :  the  little  sheds  which  con- 
tained the  stills  were  very  conspicuous ;  and  the  ground 
was  strewn  with  shreds  of  the  sugar  cane  from  which  the 
rum  is  made.  One  little  stream  we  crossed,  with  its  edging 
of  wood  was  called  Sahamaitso,  "  green  valley  " ;  pretty 
indeed,  but  very  different  in  size  and  beauty  from  the 
Green  Eiver  of  Colorado.  Another,  with  a  fine  curve,  was 
the  Eanofotsy,  "white  river,"  flowing  over  clean  sand. 


PROVINCE  AND  PEOPLE. 


237 


Near  the  village  of  Mangatany,  we  passed  through  a  grove 
of  myrtle  trees ;  and  we  found  abundance  of  chlorite  and 
chlorite  earth,  from  whence  the  village  is  named.  We 
were  now  close  to  the  east  wall  of  Ankay,  and  turning  up 
a  narrow  defile,  crossed  by  a  beautiful  reef  of  pure  milk- 
quartz,  we  climbed  750  feet  to  the  top  of  a  noble  hill  of 
red  clay,  called  Ambohiborona,  "  bird  hill."  The  hill  made 
an  admirable  station :  it  towered  high  over  the  country 
round,  and  gave  us  our  first  clear  view  of  the  Sihanaka 
district.  It  stretched  northward  for  nearly  forty  miles. 
The  high  ridges  on  the  east ;  the  low  hills  and  gullies  of 
Ankay ;  the  dark  green  forest  line  which  bounded  them ; 
the  lighter,  softer  green  of  the  reed  swamps  to  the  north ; 
the  long  fingers  that  came  and  dipped  into  the  swamps 
and  were  lost ;  the  dark  hills  on  the  northern  horizon ; 
and  the  blue  lake  of  Alaotra  at  their  feet : — these  were  the 
objects  on  which  we  gazed  long  from  that  lofty  tower. 
This  was  the  country  which  we  had  travelled  far  to  see. 
Descending  the  hill,  we  crossed  in  succession  three  ridges 
with  their  intervening  levels :  had  our  first  experience  of 
the  swamps  for  which  the  district  is  famous :  saw  how  the 
swampy  levels  are  being  recovered  and  employed  for  rice- 
fields  :  and  at  last,  after  a  hard  day's  work,  mounting  a 
low  hill,  beheld  beneath  us  the  goal  for  which  we  had 
aimed.  In  a  few  minutes  we  were  deposited,  by  our 
bearers,  in  their  best  style,  at  the  door  of  the  beautiful 
chapel  of  Ambatondrazaka,  the  capital  of  the  Sihanaka 
district. 

Having  sent  in  to  the  governor  our  letters  of  introduc- 
tion, we  were  speedily  invited  to  pay  him  a  visit.  We 
were  duly  carried  in  state  by  our  men,  and  passing  through 


238 


THE  SIHANAKA 


the  gates  of  the  double  stockade,  were  set  down  at  the  door 
of  the  government  house.  Entering  the  lower  hall,  we 
found  the  governor  seated  in  the  middle  of  the  room ; 
while  his  officers  were  behind  him,  and  a  goodly  number  of 
common  people,  (exercising  doubtless  an  old  tribal  right), 
placed  themselves  on  his  right  hand.  In  front  three  chairs 
were  placed  for  us.  The  governor  whose  name  is  Ea-tsi- 
mihara,  and  who  is  an  officer  of  12  Honours,  received  us 
cordially ;  and  after  we  were  seated,  addressed  us,  accord- 
ing to  custom,  in  the  following  manner :  "  Since  you,  our 
friends  and  Englishmen,  have  come  from  the  Capital,  we 
ask  of  you,  How  is  Queen  Eanavalona,  the  sovereign  of  the 
land  ?  How  is  Eainilaiarivony,  the  Prime  Minister,  pro- 
tector of  the  kingdom  ?  How  is  our  venerable  father, 
Eainingory  ?  How  is  Eainimaharavo,  chief  secretary  of 
state  ?  How  is  Eabe,  his  son  ?  How  are  the  princes,  the 
relations  of  the  Queen  ?  How  are  the  great  people  ?  How 
is  the  kingdom  of  Ambohimanga  and  of  Antananarivo  ? 
How  are  the  '  under  heaven/  the  people  ?  How  are  you, 
our  friends  ?  And  how  is  your  fatigue  after  your  journey  ?" 
To  these  inquiries,  after  a  pause,  Mr.  Sibree  gravely  replied 
seriatim:  informing  the  governor,  that  the  Queen  was  well: 
the  Prime  Minister  was  well ;  the  kingdom  was  well ;  that 
we  were  well,  though  we  were  fatigued  :  and  so  on.  He 
then  inquired  in  turn,  how  the  governor  was,  and  the  town 
and  the  people,  and  things  in  general  in  the  Sihanaka  dis- 
trict. He  also  described  the  purpose  of  our  journey; 
informed  him  of  our  visits  to  the  churches  in  other  parts 
of  Madagascar  :  and  specially  inquired  about  the  small- 
pox epidemic.  We  learned  that  it  had  prevailed,  but  by  a 
careful  isolation  of  the  patients,  had  been  stamped  out : 


PROVINCE  AND  PEOPLE. 


239 


and  no  new  case  had  occurred  in  the  town  for  three  weeks 
past.  Every  evening  every  house  in  the  town  was  visited 
by  one  of  the  officers  to  inquire  into  the  health  of  the 
inmates. 

The  governor  then  took  us  by  the  hand  and  led  us  back 
to  our  quarters :  and  dinner  being  ready,  we  invited  him  to 
share  it  with  us.  He  readily  sat  down  and  in  due  time 
emphatically  declared  that  pancakes  and  English  jam  were 
excellent  food.  After  tea,  surrounded  by  his  officers  and 
by  the  people  of  the  town,  he  presented  us  with  a  number 
of  geese  and  fowls,  several  baskets  of  rice,  and  an  unwill- 
ing pig,  who  did  not  see  why  he  should  be  sacrificed  in  the 
cause  of  Sihanaka  hospitality,  and  vociferously  protested 
against  the  proceedings.  A  formal  speech  was  made  on  the 
occasion ;  the  things  being  presented  in  the  Queen's  name : 
to  which  we  made  a  formal  and  grateful  reply.  The  pig 
was  handed  over  to  the  men,  with  the  baskets  of  rice ;  and 
while  they  disposed  of  him  at  their  leisure,  we  took  pos- 
session of  our  airy  room,  and  enjoyed  a  sound  and  healthy 
rest. 

Thursday  proved  a  busy  and  pleasant  day.  We  paid 
numerous  visits  to  the  various  quarters  of  the  town ; 
examined  the  market ;  held  consultations  with  the  pastor 
of  the  church ;  and  examined  the  scholars  he  had  gathered 
in  the  school.  Thus  we  learned  a  great  deal  respecting 
the  district,  the  town  we  were  visiting,  and  the  progress  of 
the  Christian  congregations  which  it  contains.  We 
found  an  excellent  observing  station  and  took  a  few 
photographs. 

Ambatondrazaka  is  a  good  town  of  four  hundred 
houses,  and  a  population  of  two  thousand  souls.    It  is 


240 


TEE  SIHANAKA 


built  on  the  side  of  a  peninsula  or  ridge  running  up  from 
the  great  ridges  on  the  south-east :  and  it  overlooks  a  fine 
bay  in  these  hills  from  which  a  great  rice-harvest  had  only 
recently  been  carried  away.  A  broad  road  coming  down 
the  crest  of  the  ridge  divides  the  town  into  nearly  equal 
parts.  In  the  centre  of  the  town  and  east  of  the  road 
stands  the  rova  or  fortress  occupied  by  the  Hova  governor 
and  his  garrison.  This  rova  is  laid  out  with  great  re- 
gularity :  its  large  well-built  houses  are  all  in  line ;  the 
streets  are  broad  and  clean ;  and  each  house  forms  a  block 
with  a  road  on  every  side.  The  whole  is  surrounded  by  a 
double  stockade ;  and  between  the  two  fences  is  a  space  of 
thirty  feet.  The  governor's  house,  or  lapa,  is  in  the  north- 
east division  of  the  town,  and  has  a  stockade  of  its  own : 
it  is  a  house  of  two  stories,  with  verandahs  round  it,  and 
looks  large  and  comfortable,  even  among  the  substantial 
buildings  by  which  it  is  surrounded.  In  old  Malagasy 
fashion,  all  these  houses  are  built  of  wood. 

Outside  the  rova  are  a  large  number  of  houses,  built  of 
clay,  wood  or  reeds,  with  large  enclosures  of  clay  or  reed 
for  the  great  cattle-herds  with  which  the  district  abounds. 
The  people  in  these  houses  looked  squalid  and  poor :  pigs 
were  abundant,  and  the  streets  wTere  dirty.  The  Chapel, 
however,  on  the  west  of  the  road,  and  opposite  the  rova,  is 
a  handsome  building,  a  copy  of  its  mother  church  at 
Analakely  in  the  Capital.  It  is  built  of  clay ;  is  ninety 
feet  long  by  thirty-six  broad  ;  and  has  doors,  windows  and 
pulpit  all  well  made.  The  walls  are  white-washed ;  and 
the  floor  was  covered  from  end  to  end  with  fine  mats,  care- 
fully sewn  together.  We  heard  with  much  pleasure  that, 
before  the  outbreak  of  small -pox,  this  fine  building  was 


PROVINCE  AND  PEOPLE. 


241 


usually  filled  at  the  Sunday  morning  service.  In  a  town 
like  this  our  bearers  soon  found  friends ;  as  retailers  of  the 
latest  news  from  the  Capital,  with  which  the  soldiers  of 
the  garrison  are  connected  by  a  thousand  ties,  they  were 
everywhere  welcome,  and  without  difficulty  made  them- 
selves at  home. 

To  us  the  market  looked  small,  though  deemed  by  the 
inhabitants  and  their  country  neighbours  an  important 
place.  We  found  in  it  fine  bananas  (always  an  acceptable 
addition  to  our  table,  especially  when  fried) ;  our  men 
purchased  the  enormous  sugar-canes,  ten  and  twelve  feet 
high ;  and  there  was  for  sale  a  quantity  of  small  dried  fish 
brought  from  the  east  coast.  While  we  were  taking 
observations  and  photographs  from  a  neighbouring  slope, 
the  transactions  of  the  market  were  brought  to  a  complete 
stand-stilL  Buyers  and  sellers  all  turned  to  look  on.  Our 
instruments  were  watched  with  interest  and  wonder  ;  and 
our  bearers  were  called  in  to  explain  their  magical  and 
mysterious  uses.  But  the  cattle,  always  in  a  state  of  ex- 
citement on  market  days,  began  frisking  and  capering 
about ;  and  at  length  commenced  a  general  stampede  down 
the  town  with  half  the  population  at  their  heels.  In  the 
evening  we  dined  with  the  governor:  but  before  we  sat 
down  he  presented  us  with  a  bullock,  that  had  been  duly 
killed  and  cut  up  for  ourselves  and  our  people.  After  a 
brief  speech  and  our  formal  reply,  we  summoned  our 
bearers  to  carry  it  away.  The  governor's  dinner  was 
excellent,  consisting  of  soup,  curry,  roast  turkey,  coffee 
and  abundance  of  fresh  milk.  On  returning  to  our  rest- 
house,  we  found  our  bearers  seated  in  a  line  on  the  top  of 
the  wall,  intently  watching  the  small  mound  of  beef,  which 

Q 


242 


THE  SIHANAKA 


they  were  eager  to  divide.  They  were  soon  made  happy 
and  carried  their  happiness  far  into  the  night;  singing 
over  their  beef  and  stimulated  by  stronger  waters  than  the 
swamps  usually  supply. 

Christian  work  has  prospered  in  Ambatondrazaka. 
Here,  as  in  other  places,  the  Hova  Christians  from  Ime- 
rina,  thrown  on  their  own  resources,  have  steadfastly 
maintained  their  hold  on  the  Gospel.  They  keep  the 
Sabbath :  they  maintain  public  worship,  having  two 
services  a-day  ;  they  have  an  appointed  pastor ;  they  send 
their  children  to  school.  Here,  as  elsewhere,  we  saw  a 
few  copies  of  the  new  Bible  ;  several  teachers  have  been 
sent  to  the  country  churches ;  and  even  grown  people  have 
learned  to  read.  It  was  specially  pleasant  to  us  to  find 
that  the  young  pastor  of  the  church,  Andriamahaleo,  was 
not  a  Hova,  from  a  distance,  but  was  an  Antsihanaka, 
a  native  of  the  province.  Though  in  early  days  his  people 
had  been  refused  permission  to  learn  to  read  or  write,  as  a 
boy,  quick  and  shrewd,  he  had  secretly  taught  himself  to 
do  both.  Being  employed  in  the  office  of  the  Governor, 
he  had  observed  the  form  given  to  words,  which  he  knew 
to  have  been  inscribed  on  the  public  letters  :  he  compared 
the  inscription  on  one  letter  with  that  on  another  :  and 
arguing  back  from  known  meanings  and  known  sounds, 
he  learned  to  identify  those  sounds  with  the  written 
symbols.  He  became  a  Christian :  he  picked  up  know- 
ledge ;  and  he  became  so  well  acquainted  with  the  Siha- 
naka  customs  and  laws,  that  he  was  appointed  one  of  the 
judges  of  the  province.  He  proved  also  an  excellent 
expounder  of  the  Scriptures,  and  the  church  invited  him 
to  be  their  pastor.    "  I  am  not  wise,"  he  said ;  "  I  wish  to 


PROVINCE  AND  PEOPLE. 


243 


know  more  of  the  Word  of  God  myself ;  but  they  said  I 
was  able  to  teach  them  ;  and  I  do  my  best." 

Having  taken  farewell  of  the  Governor,  on  Friday  morn- 
ing we  commenced  our  tour  round  the  southern  and 
western  sides  of  the  Sihanaka  province.  All  the  centre  of 
the  province  is  under  water  and  is  occupied  by  the  great 
reed  swamps,  or  by  the  deeper  waters  of  the  Alaotra  Lake. 
The  population  has  settled  on  the  roots  of  the  hills  by 
which  the  basin  is  surrounded.  For  two  hours  and  a  half 
we  proceeded  westward  along  the  edge  of  the  hills  or 
crossed  one  or  two  narrow  arms  of  the  swamp  on  frail 
plank  bridges,  and  then  reached  the  prosperous  village  of 
Ambohidehilahy.  The  village  contains  a  hundred  and 
fifty  houses,  and  is  situated  on  the  end  of  a  long  clay 
promontory.  The  chapel  is  a  simple  building,  made  of 
reeds ;  but  we  found  a  new  and  much  larger  one,  at  its 
side,  in  course  of  erection,  of  substantial  clay  bricks  and 
solid  timber-roof.  The  good  people  gave  us  a  hearty 
welcome,  in  the  middle  of  the  village.  They  placed  before 
us  abundance  of  beef,  poultry,  eggs  and  baskets  of  rice ; 
and  with  the  usual  inquiries  after  the  authorities  and 
ourselves  and  the  usual  words  of  welcome,  begged  our 
acceptance  of  their  present. 

While  our  midday  meal  was  preparing,  we  went  into  the 
chapel,  which  we  found  full  of  people,  and  very  gladly 
gave  them  a  service.  As  elsewhere  during  this  journey, 
Mr.  Sibree  kindly  acted  as  our  spokesman,  and  gave  them 
the  instruction  they  desired.  It  was  pleasant,  yet  it  was 
painful,  to  see  the  eager  look  on  the  faces  of  the  many 
respectable  women,  the  bright  young  men  and  the  intelli- 
gent children,  who  had  been  waiting  for  us  two  or  three 


244 


THE  SIHAXAKA 


hours.  We  heard  many  of  them  read,  examined  them  as 
to  their  knowledge  of  the  Scriptures  ;  and  when  they  had 
sung  a  hymn,  Mr.  Sibree  gave  them  an  address,  dwelling 
on  the  prime  truths  of  Christianity,  especially  those  con- 
nected with  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  himself.  Ill  do  those 
understand  Christian  missionaries,  who  imagine  that  in 
instructing  simple  converts  like  these,  we  dwell  on  the 
outside  questions  of  denominational  organisation  and 
worship.  It  is  the  Lord  himself  whom  they  need.  It  is 
the  Lord  alone  who  can  satisfy  their  soul's  hunger  and 
who  does  satisfy  it,  when  once  they  find  Him.  The  more 
simply,  the  more  completely,  we  bring  them  to  Him,  and 
bring  Him  to  them,  the  more  truly  is  our  work  accom- 
plished. We  want  not  to  make  proselytes:  we  want  these 
ignorant  wanderers  to  become  Christians. 

We  observed  that  the  house  in  which  we  dined  was 
unusually  large  and  substantial :  and  Mr.  Sibree  kindly 
pointed  out  to  us  those  peculiarities,  which  proved  it  to  be 
fashioned  not  after  the  Hova  system,  but  after  that  of  the 
Betsimisarakas.  The  Hova  house  has  one  post  at  each 
end  and  one  in  the  centre  :  it  has  one  door  and  one 
window  on  the  west  side ;  the  bed-stead  is  fixed  in  the 
north-east  corner  ;  and  the  hearth  is  in  the  north-west 
corner,  with  a  two-storied  frame,  covered  with  soot,  on 
which  the  cooking  pots  are  usually  laid.  Our  present 
house  had  three  well  carved  posts  in  the  centre  and  at 
each  end:  the  west  side  of  the  house  had  two  doors;  there 
was  a  window  in  the  north-east,  the  bed-stead  was  in  the 
south-east,  and  the  fire  and  the  saucepan-frame  were  in 
the  south-west :  the  floor  was  nicely  covered  with  very 
fine  mats.    We  saw  many  such  houses  in  the  province  : 


PROVINCE  AXD  PEOPLE. 


245 


and  in  them  all  is  still  preserved  the  traditionary  use  of 
wood.  Even  in  the  Capital,  the  erection  of  brick  houses, 
within  the  city-proper,  only  dates  back  a  few  years. 

Having  taken  a  few  observations,  we  proceeded  ten 
miles  to  the  southward,  in  order  to  round  the  great  swamp, 
which  was  now  on  our  right  hand  and  impassable 
except  by  strong  canoes.  We  crossed  in  succession  the 
ends  of  the  ridges  over  which  we  had  passed  two  days 
before,  and  had  conspicuous  before  us  our  noble  observing 
hill,  Ambohiborona.  The  little  rivers  between  the  ridges 
were  shallow  and  sandy.  Under  Ambohiborona  we  came 
to  the  village  of  ^Manakambahiny,  where  a  little  congrega- 
tion awaited  us,  and  offered  us  their  welcome  and  a  present. 
Beyond  this  village  we  got  into  one  of  the  arms  of  the 
swamp  ;  and  now  saw  what  noble  reeds  grow  in  it.  The 
zozoro  papyrus,  with  its  triangular  stalk  was  very  fine  and 
very  tall :  the  flat  lierena  also  grew  luxuriantly :  the  colour 
of  both  was  a  rich,  strong  green.  Oar  journey  ended  at 
the  village  of  Ambodinonoka,  on  the  northern  edo-e  of 
Ankay. 

Here  a  curious  scene  took  place.  The  elders  of  the 
village,  with  a  fine  old  judge  at  their  head,  had  made  their 
little  speech ;  had  thanked  their  "friends  over  the  sea"  for 
sending  us  to  visit  them ;  and  had  offered  us  their  hospi- 
table present ;  but  none  of  our  bearers  were  at  hand  ;  and 
when  we  called  them  to  take  the  beef  and  rice  away,  they 
declined  to  come.  On  inquiry  we  found  that  they  were  in 
the  sulks  and  were  holding  an  indignation-meeting,  to 
protest  against  the  ill  treatment  they  were  suffering  at  our 
hands.  Asking  for  particulars,  we  were  informed  that 
they  had  two  grievances ;  first,  three  days  ago,  we  had 


246 


THE  SIHANAKA 


continued  our  journey  a  whole  quarter  of  an  hour  after 
sunset ;  (we  had  not  reached  the  village ;)  and  secondly, 
we  had  publicly  reproved  them  to-day,  because  they  had 
taken  up  the  geese  offered  as  presents.  We  replied  that 
we  were  astonished  at  their  impudence ;  that  they  had 
greatly  disgraced  us  to-day,  by  greedily  seizing  the  birds 
and  the  rice,  even  before  the  hospitable  people  had  formally 
offered  them  to  ourselves.  They  might  sulk  if  they 
pleased;  we  should  give  them  no  beef  or  rice  this  evening; 
we  should  give  the  whole  of  it  to  the  poor  of  the  village  : 
which  we  did.  A  moderate  supper  at  their  own  expense, 
followed  by  a  placid  night,  restored  their  moral  tone  ;  and 
the  next  day,  they  did  a  good  day's  work  with  energy  and 
spirit.    What  a  petulant  set  of  children  they  were  ! 

On  Saturday  our  journey  was  long;  we  started  very 
early  and  were  nine  hours  and  a-half  in  the  palankin. 
Again  and  again  we  went  down  into  the  swamps ;  crossed 
a  river  with  a  curious  name,  "that  which  a  girl  cannot 
pass";  came  close  under  the  western  hills  of  Ankay, 
covered  with  forest ;  and  enjoyed  a  pleasant  midday  rest 
at  the  fine  village  of  Ambohitromby,  or  "ox- town."  The 
swamp  was  difficult  to  traverse  to-day.  The  zozoro  was 
very  tall,  strong  and  green :  the  herena,  with  its  flat  blade, 
was  often  six  feet  long  :  and  the  via,  the  beautiful  Arum 
lily,  the  Astrapcea  Wallichi,  with  its  huge  well-crimped 
leaves,  was  here  in  abundance.  We  had  also  a  few  rofia 
palms.  At  times  the  ground  was  lumpy ;  then  we  had 
swamp ;  then  soft  clay ;  we  went  round  the  edge  of  the 
reedy  forest  or  forced  our  way  through  it.  Now  some  men 
stuck  fast  with  the  luggage,  then  others.  One  spot  was 
all  but  impassable.    The  water  was  deep :  the  men  beat 


PROVINCE  AND  PEOPLE. 


247 


down  the  stalks  of  the  reeds  ;  and  staggered  over  the 
slippery  bridge  as  they  best  could.  In  another  there  was 
a  single  plank ;  and  our  palankins  were  carried  over  with 
but  one  man  at  each  end :  the  firmness  and  steadiness 
with  which  they  moved  forward  were  wonderful :  and  we 
all  passed  without  accident. 

This  great  swamp  covers  altogether  an  area  of  over  six 
hundred  square  miles  :  It  has  many  arms  running  up  into 
the  hills  on  every  side :  and  on  its  north-east  side  is  the 
clear  lake  of  Alaotra.  It  lies  at  the  north  end  of  Ankay ; 
and  receives  the  drainage  of  a  vast  district  on  the  south- 
east :  the  hills  in  that  direction  are  peculiarly  sandy  and 
friable  :  water-spouts  and  storms  have  wrought  havoc 
among  them,  and  all  the  silt  has  been  carried  into  the 
Sihanaka  level.  The  only  exit  for  the  waters  is  on  the 
north-east :  and  here  the  ravine  is  narrow  and  rocks  bar 
the  way.  The  waters  are  retained  at  a  high  level ;  and 
the  sediment  washed  down  is  buried  beneath  them. 
Long  tongues  and  fingers  of  clay  project  into  the  reed- 
covered  reservoir ;  and  a  few  hills  stand  out  like  islands 
in  the  deep  green  sea.  Imerina  must  once  have  been 
what  this  great  province  now  is :  it  has  still  the  remains 
of  the  ancient  swamps  and  forests  of  reeds.  And  Imerina 
is  now,  what  in  due  time  the  Sihanaka  will  become,  a 
magnificent  rice -plain,  with  its  rivers  embanked  and 
bridged,  with  smiling  villages  on  every  side,  feeding 
myriads  of  Christian  people,  living  in  peace. 

Ambohitromby  is  a  good  village  of  ninety  houses,  on  a 
round  hill :  with  abundance  of  geese  and  fowls ;  and  hav- 
ing large  herds  of  cattle  in  its  neighbourhood.  We  had  a 
most  pleasant  meeting  with  its  people.    The  little  chapel 


248 


THE  SIHAXAKA 


was  crowded  and  many  present  were  Sihanaka.  Again  we 
examined  all  the  scholars,  and  Mr.  Sibree  gave  the  people 
an  address.  We  were  objects  of  great  curiosity  to  them 
all,  but  especially  to  the  women,  who  had  probably  never 
seen  an  Englishman  before. 

We  now  had  a  long  journey  before  us :  but  it  was  for 
the  most  part  on  level  ground.  We  were  travelling  north, 
on  the  main  ridge  of  the  district  on  its  west  side ;  and  to- 
day we  got  over  many  miles  of  ground.  At  times  we  went 
through  inlets  of  the  swamp  which  separated  the  ridges 
from  one  another :  and  then  found  ourselves  on  a  broad 
level  terrace,  along  which  the  men  raced  and  ran  with 
great  speed.  Parallel  to  us  on  the  east  was  another  level 
ridge,  running  into  the  swamp  from  the  north-north -west. 
A  large  portion  of  the  low  level  between  has  been  redeemed 
from  the  swamp  and  is  being  cultivated  with  rice.  Vil- 
lages were  seen  here  and  there  with  chapels ;  on  the  grassy 
level  the  cattle  were  numerous ;  and  the  little  stacks  of 
rice  stood  in  long  lines  on  the  open  plain.  Close  by  on 
the  west  were  great  gneiss  hills  covered  with  forest :  away 
to  the  north  was  the  volcanic  mass,  which  overhangs  the 
town  of  Amparafaravola  ;  and  across  the  swamp  to  the 
eastward  were  the  red  clay  ridges,  made  golden  in  the 
warm  light  of  the  afternoon  sun.  It  was  one  of  the  most 
pleasant  trips  we  had  made  in  the  country. 

Late  in  the  afternoon  we  came  to  an  inlet,  which  gave 
passage  to  a  small  river  flowing  from  the  western  hills, 
and  was  filled  as  usual  with  the  zozoro  reeds.  Across  the 
inlet  on  the  north,  was  a  steep  red  hill,  which  had  on 
its  summit  the  old  walled  village  of  Ambohipeno.  We 
noticed  that  there  was  a  group  of  people  looking  for  us  on 


PROVINCE  AND  PEOPLE. 


249 


the  top  of  the  hill :  the  choir  of  women  was  on  the  east ; 
the  school  children  were  on  the  west,  and  the  elders  of  the 
town  stood  in  the  centre.  As  we  commenced  the  ascent 
of  the  hill  the  women  and  children  began  to  sing :  and 
when  we  reached  the  top,  the  old  judge  of  the  district,  a 
man  of  hearty,  genial  temper,  came  forward  and  shook  us 
warmly  by  the  hand.  Eecognising  us  as  "  messengers  of 
the  churches  over  the  sea,"  and  as  "  friends  of  the  king- 
dom," he  gave  us  a  hearty  welcome  and  as  usual  presented 
us  with  some  provision  for  the  way.  We  stayed  a  few 
minutes  talking  with  these  kind  people  ;  and  as  we  could 
not  remain  to  spend  the  Sabbath,  we  promised  to  return 
for  the  afternoon  service.  They  kindly  sent  our  presents 
on,  and  after  another  hour's  run,  we  arrived  just  after  sun- 
set at  Amparafaravola. 

This  Hova  town  is  the  place  of  second  importance  in  the 
Sihanaka  province,  and  is  the  residence  of  the  Second 
Commander  or  Lieutenant  Governor.  It  contains  over 
ninety  houses  ;  all  included  within  a  double  stockade,  and 
not  having  the  order,  neatness  and  finish  of  the  Hova  town 
at  Ambatondrazaka.  There  are  many  Sihanaka  houses 
scattered  about  the  neighbourhood ;  and  little  villages  of 
such  we  had  passed  in  the  rice  fields  just  before  our 
arrival.  The  Lieut. -Governor  and  his  people  all  came  out 
to  welcome  us :  they  made  the  usual  kind  speeches  and 
enquiries :  presented  us  with  abundance  of  beef,  fowls  and 
rice,  for  ourselves  and  our  men;  and  then  expressed  serious 
concern  as  to  our  quarters  for  the  night.  The  governor's 
own  house  was  being  rebuilt :  and  the  large  new  chapel 
outside  the  stockade,  though  unfinished,  was  in  posse  the 
most  comfortable  place  of  shelter.    It  had  a  good  roof  and 


250 


TEE  SIEANAKA 


solid  walls :  but  the  doors  and  windows  were  only  parti- 
tions of  reeds.  However  we  erected  the  tent  inside  the 
chapel  at  one  end :  fastened  the  tent  carpets  over  two  of 
the  windows ;  and  though,  like  the  cave  of  iEolus,  the 
place  was  somewhat  draughty,  and  the  mosquitoes  were 
numerous  and  active,  we  made  ourselves  considerably  com- 
fortable. How  sweet  the  sleep,  even  in  rough  quarters, 
after  those  long  and  weary  journeys  in  the  dry,  fresh 
air. 

We  spent  a  delightful  Sunday  with  those  good  people, 
and  saw  for  ourselves  more  of  the  religious  life  of  the  dis- 
trict than  we  had  yet  done.  As  soon  as  the  building  was 
in  order  the  congregation  assembled.  On  the  rough  little 
table  belonging  to  the  church  we  placed  my  camera-box ; 
and  spread  over  all  a  gay,  if  not  gorgeous,  rug  belonging  to 
Mr.  Pillans  :  it  excited  great  admiration  and  was  thought 
on  all  sides  to  have  added  dignity  to  the  occasion,  hence- 
forth memorable  in  this  town,  when  three  English  Mission- 
aries were  present  at  the  service.  The  slaves  of  several 
families  now  brought  in  the  hassocks  and  cushions,  on 
which  the  ladies  were  to  sit :  and  as  soon  as  the  governor 
and  his  family  entered,  the  place  was  well  filled.  We 
thought  there  were  nearly  five  hundred  people  present,  of 
whom  a  good  proportion  were  Sihanaka,  They  sang  toler- 
ably well :  but  the  tunes  had  become  greatly  altered  by 
interpolations,  deductions  and  shakes,  and  we  could  only 
just  recognise  them.  Our  chaplain  preached  the  first 
sermon:  and  Mr.  Sibree  the  second,  both  choosing  the 
same  text :  "  This  is  a  faithful  saying  :  that  Jesus  Christ 
came  into  the  world  to  save  sinners."  I  added  a  brief 
address  in  English  (the  sound  of  which  greatly  interested 


PROVINCE  AND  PEOPLE. 


251 


the  people),  which  was  interpreted  by  Mr.  Sibree.  We 
all  had  but  one  theme:  and  the  attention  manifested 
throughout  our  two  hours'  service,  was  gratifying  in  the 
extreme.  Subsequently  Mr.  Sibree  gathered  the  singers, 
gave  them  some  good  advice  about  their  singing,  and 
taught  them  the  new  tunes  which  we  had  brought  with  us. 
They  took  to  them  most  heartily.  They  sang  in  the 
chapel  :  then  they  removed  to  the  school-room ;  with  the 
help  of  the  chaplain  they  practised  all  the  evening :  deep 
into  the  night  we  heard  voices  proclaiming  in  Malagasy, 
"There  is  a  happy  land,  far,  far  away":  and  as  the  sun 
rose  the  next  morning  and  we  set  out  on  our  journey  once 
more,  the  last  echoes  of  the  same  melody  died  upon  our 
ears. 

One  thing  greatly  struck  me  during  the  afternoon  ser- 
vice. After  a  sermon  by  our  chaplain  from  the  well- 
selected  text,  "  God  be  merciful  to  me  a  sinner,"  the  native 
pastor  of  the  church,  took  the  congregation  through  their 
catechism.  This  was  the  highest  catechism  containing,  I 
believe,  over  a  hundred  questions.  As  he  put  the  ques- 
tions one  by  one,  the  entire  congregation  answered.  The 
governor,  and  the  governor's  wife ;  the  officers  old  and 
young  ;  the  women  and  the  female  slaves  ;  the  young  men, 
boys,  girls ;  the  Sihanaka  as  well  as  the  Hovas,  all  an- 
swered clearly  and  correctly.  These  people  had  been  care- 
fully taught.  Ear  away  from  Englishmen,  receiving  but 
indirectly  life  and  stimulus  from  the  churches  of  their 
brethren  in  Imerina,  dependent  entirely  upon  one  another 
and  upon  native  teaching,  these  people  were  keeping  the 
Sabbath,  were  maintaining  in  an  orderly  manner  public 
worship,  and  all  were  being  well  instructed  in  the  faith, 


252 


THE  SIHANAKA 


from  the  sole  fountain  of  the  Word  of  God.  Has  not  that 
word  been  glorified  among  them  ? — The  same  afternoon 
Mr.  Sibree  and  Mr.  Pillans  went  over  to  Ambohipeno, 
where  the  people  had  received  us  so  kindly  yesterday- 
afternoon.  They  found  the  chapel  full  and  had  a  congre- 
gation of  four  hundred  people,  who  most  attentively  lis- 
tened to  the  addresses  which  they  gave. 

We  had  invited  the  governor  to  dine  with  us  :  but  he 
preferred  and  pressed  that  we  should  dine  with  him.  His 
officers  and  family  were  most  kind.  While  we  were 
dining  the  choir  sang  hymns;  the  singing  having  been 
substituted  for  the  customary  honour  of  the  band  playing 
during  an  entertainment.  An  hour  or  two  later  the  gover- 
nor came  over  to  take  a  quiet  cup  of  tea  with  us,  and  talk 
about  the  religious  wants  of  the  town  and  district.  He 
heartily  seconded  the  proposal  made  in  Ambatondrazaka, 
that  the  whole  province  should  be  placed  in  the  hands  of 
one  or  two  English  missionaries,  and  that  teachers  and 
pastors  should  be  trained  on  the  spot  for  the  instruction  of 
the  native  congregations.  He  wanted  some  arrangement 
made  for  the  regular  supply  and  sale  of  Bibles.  He  asked 
whether  our  friends  in  England  would  not  kindly  supply 
them  also  with  a  few  sets  of  simple  Communion  Services, 
which  cannot  be  made  or  bought  in  Madagascar. 

We  all  took  a  great  liking  for  this  excellent  Christian 
man.  He  was  so  simple,  so  child-like  in  his  spirit,  and  so 
truly  affectionate  and  kind,  that  our  hearts  warmed  to 
him,  and  we  felt  anxious  to  do  all  we  can  for  the  help  of 
himself  and  his  people.  His  name  is  Andriamamonjy. 
He  has  not  been  to  the  Capital  for  twelve  years,  during 
which  all  the  great  improvements  have  been  introduced 


PROVINCE  AND  PEOPLE. 


253 


there :  but  though  isolated  he  has  learned  much :  and  he 
is  truly  anxious  for  the  enlightenment  and  improvement 
of  the  people  around  him.  We  assured  him  of  the  deep 
interest  that  would  henceforth  be  felt  in  the  province ;  and 
we  hoped  that  an  English  missionary  would  come  and 
reside  there.  Here  as  elsewhere  we  gave  books  to  the 
teacher  of  the  school,  the  pastor  and  others  :  we  found  that 
the  school  has  seventy  scholars  and  there  are  twenty-five 
who  can  read. 

Mr.  Sibree  relates  in  his  Journal  a  curious  incident 
which  happened  in  this  town  two  years  ago,  to  two  students 
of  the  College  in  Antananarivo,  who  visited  the  place  on 
their  way  to  Mojanga.  Among  various  perplexities  on 
religious  matters  which  troubled  the  minds  of  the  people, 
this  was  one  : — 

"The  people  enquired,  'When  it  is  Sunday  and  the 
water  in  the  house  happens  to  be  all  used,  is  it  right  to 
fetch  a  little  from  the  spring  ? '  We  replied,  '  That  is  a 
matter  one  cannot  lay  down  a  rule  for,  but  we  think  you 
should  ask  of  your  neighbours.'  1  Our  neighbours,'  said 
they,  '  are  just  in  the  same  plight  as  ourselves.  And  then 
when  strangers  happen  to  come  on  Saturday  evening  and 
there  is  not  water  enough,  what  is  to  be  done?'  'Does 
that  often  happen  that  it  troubles  you  so  ?'  said  we.  '  It 
is  often  the  case,'  the  people  replied,  f  or  we  should  not 
be  concerned  about  it.'  So  we  bade  them  do  as  follows  : 
We  told  them  to  buy  three  big  water-pots,  and  every 
Saturday  evening  have  them  filled,  so  that  those  whose 
water  was  expended  on  Sunday,  or  had  strangers  come 
unexpectedly,  might  take  from  them  what  they  wanted. 
And  these  three  big  pots  are  to  be  called  1  Charity  water- 


254 


THE  SIHANAKA 


pots  '  (Sini-ben'  ny  fiantrana) ;  to  all  which  they  cheerfully 
agreed,  and  appointed  three  men  to  be  superintendents  of 
these  water-pots,  both  as  to  filling  them  and  giving  out 
supplies ;  and  here  are  the  names  of  the  superintendents." 
Had  we  remembered  the  incident  we  should  have  certainly 
asked  for  a  sight  of  the  "  Charity  water-pots,"  and  enquired 
how  the  arrangement  worked. 

We  saw  our  kind  friend  the  governor  once  more  on 
Monday  morning;  and  having  said  farewell  to  him  and 
his  family,  at  nine  o'clock  we  continued  our  journey  to  the 
north.  After  taking  a  few  observations,  we  noticed  with 
interest  that  the  lofty  hill  one  mile  north  of  the  town  is 
volcanic  :  it  is  part  of  an  old  crater :  large  portions  of  one 
side  have  been  broken  away;  but  abundance  of  lava  is 
strewn  on  and  around  it  over  a  wide  space.  This  is  the 
only  specimen  of  volcanic  action  we  have  found  in  all  the 
district.  The  line  of  that  action  lies  in  general  farther 
west.  And  the  nearest  volcanic  hills  are  on  the  north- 
west shoulder  of  the  island,  in  the  island  of  Nosibe  and 
the  great  hills  opposite  to  it  on  the  mainland. 

Eounding  the  volcano  to  the  eastward,  we  came  into  the 
level  bay  between  the  main  hills  and  the  promontory  out- 
side. We  passed  four  small  villages,  crossed  a  stream 
running  south  by  which  the  western  hills  and  this  level 
are  drained,  and  close  to  a  spur  of  the  promontory,  came 
to  a  large  village,  Morarano,  with  seventy  houses,  and  a 
little  neighbour,  Marafotsy,  with  thirty  more.  We  next 
climbed  the  promontory  itself,  which  was  to  be  our  road 
for  many  miles :  and  from  a  high  point  on  the  ridge  had  a 
beautiful  view  of  the  district.  On  another  lofty  hill, 
having  a  single  thorn  tree,  we  found  an  excellent  station, 


PROVINCE  AND  PEOPLE. 


255 


which  we  named  One  Tree  Hill.  We  had  long  since  left 
all  population  behind.  We  saw  not  a  house  for  several 
hours.  Indeed  we  saw  neither  house  nor  people  from 
Morarano  to  our  resting-place.  The  fact  is  very  significant, 
and  shows  the  two  directions  from  a  common  point  in 
which  the  province  has  been  peopled.  Our  men  and  our- 
selves took  the  refreshment  we  had  brought  with  us  on 
the  hill-side ;  and  then  pressed  forward  to  our  destination. 
We  descended  into  the  swamp  once  more,  crossed  two  of 
its  north-western  arms ;  then  rounded  the  corner  of  the 
province,  kept  under  its  northern  hills,  over  a  grassy  plain, 
full  of  cattle ;  and  at  four  o'clock  reached  the  village  of 
Ambohijanahary. 

It  was  the  poorest  place  we  had  yet  seen,  and  looked 
dirty  and  unkempt  in  every  way.  They  told  us  it  had 
recently  been  burned  down  :  a  great  calamity  in  a  country 
and  to  a  people  where  the  accumulation  of  capital  goes  on 
so  slowly.  The  calamity  alas !  is  of  frequent  occurrence 
in  these  country  towns  and  is  natural.  The  houses  are 
built  of  wood  and  reeds,  and  are  thatched  with  leaves  or 
straw.  The  kitchen  fire  inside  and  the  hot  sun  without 
dry  up  every  particle  of  moisture  from  these  substances 
and  turn  them  into  huge  tinder-boxes :  while  the  people 
are  extremely  careless  about  fire.  As  Earl  Eussell  justly 
said  about  the  cities  of  Japan  :  "  If  people  build  their 
cities  of  bamboos  and  brown  paper,  can  they  wonder  if  they 
are  burned  down  ? " 

There  were  one  hundred  and  six  houses  in  the  town.  It 
stands  on  a  spur  of  the  northern  hills ;  and  is  surrounded 
by  hedges  of  the  Euphorbia  Cactus,  which  have  grown  to 
an  enormous  size.    The  Cactus  arms  were  thick  and  tall, 


256 


THE  SIHANAKA 


and  the  pears  on  them  were  very  large.  It  was  difficult 
work,  to  pass  along  the  lane  unharmed,  and  still  more  diffi- 
cult to  get  the  palankins  and  baggage  through  the  gate  of 
hanging  poles,  by  which  entrance  to  the  town  is  guarded. 

We  had  now  reached  the  north  end  of  the  province  and 
our  road  lay  along  the  face  of  the  hills,  which  form  its 
northern  boundary.  These  hills  are  not  a  single  chain ; 
but  are  the  ends  of  several  chains  all  having  the  same 
general  trend  from  about  north-west  to  south-east,  and 
corresponding  to  similar  ridges  at  the  other  end  of  the 
district. 

It  was  with  difficulty  we  got  our  men  together  the  next 
day,  to  resume  our  journey.  There  was  a  reason  for  it  in 
their  own  minds :  but  the  silly  fellows  would  not  tell  it 
out,  or  offer  to  us  those  explanations  which  they  had 
gained  from  private  talk  with  the  householders  around 
them.  In  the  face  of  the  vexation  caused  by  their  dogged 
resistance  we  went  on  to  Ambohitsara,  "the  beautiful 
place,"  the  dirtiest  village  we  had  yet  visited,  a  stage  lower 
in  the  material  and  social  scale  than  Ambohizanahary. 
It  stands  on  the  edge  of  a  swampy  plain:  the  soil  is 
spongy ;  the  houses  squalid ;  the  chapel  was  a  little  reed 
house,  the  play-room  of  the  village  children:  there  was 
mist  all  round  ;  and  rain  began  to  fall.  Altogether  there 
was  an  accumulation  of  *c  creditable  circumstances,"  rare  in 
these  Madagascar  journeys,  sufficient  to  test  one's  good 
spirits  and  the  power  of  looking  on  the  bright  side  of 
things. 

The  good  people  offered  us  rather  a  damp  welcome :  and 
it  was  evident  that  in  general  intelligence  they  were  some- 
what behind  the  age.    The  elder  who  was  their  spokes- 


PROVINCE  AND  PEOPLE. 


257 


man,  after  inquiring  about  the  health  of  the  Queen,  and 
the  officers  in  the  Capital;  and  gradually  localising  his 
interest  in  the  health  of  the  Governor  at  Ambatonclrazaka, 
and  the  Lieut.- Governor  at  Amparafaravola,  concluded  by 
asking  how  the  gun  was,  which  guards  the  stockade  of  the 
latter  town.  This  gun  is  a  little  thing  on  large  wheels,  a 
one-pounder,  cast  by  M.  Laborde  in  former  days  in  the 
factory  at  Mantasoa.  The  Malagasy  are  still  in  that  early 
stage  of  social  intelligence,  which  believes  strongly  in  guns, 
and  rather  overlooks  the  importance  of  having  brave  hearts 
to  manage  them.  In  former  days,  in  these  formal  inter- 
views with  strangers  or  with  Government  officers,  the  people 
frequently  inquired  after  the  guns.  This  was  the  only 
occasion,  however,  on  which  the  inquiry  was  addressed  to 
ourselves.  I  am  afraid  that  the  general  depression  seri- 
ously interfered  with  the  reply  of  our  friend  Mr.  Sibree. 
The  dignity  and  fulness,  with  which  he  usually  dwelt  upon 
the  affairs  of  the  kingdom  and  the  health  of  the  authori- 
ties, and  the  flowery  elegance  with  which  he  would 
describe  the  purpose  of  our  visit,  entirely  failed  him  here. 
His  reply  was  brief  and  guarded ;  and  the  gun  he  passed 
over  in  total  silence. 

We  were  anxious  to  cross  the  Alaotra  lake  this  after- 
noon, so  as  to  reach  Anibatondrazaka  to-morrow  evening 
and  hold  a  service  with  the  people.  We  inquired  there- 
fore eagerly  after  the  canoes  which  were  necessary.  There 
was  an  evident  reluctance  about  the  people,  which  we 
could  not  understand  ;  but  with  which  our  bearers  sided  : 
all  were  anxious  that  we  should  stay  for  the  night.  How- 
ever we  got  them  together  and  went  down  to  the  water. 
Kot  a  boat  was  visible :  so  we  spent  an  hour  on  the  shore, 

B 


258 


THE  SIHANAKA 


admiring  the  loveliness  of  the  view  before  us.  Meanwhile 
the  east  wind  blew  strong  over  the  lake,  as  it  usually  does 
in  the  afternoon;  the  lumpy  water,  in  solid  waves,  came 
tumbling  in  at  our  feet:  and  the  conviction  grew  that, 
with  shallow,  cranky  canoes,  laden  with  baggage  and  more 
than  fifty  human  lives,  the  passage  across  the  lake  in  such  * 
a  wind  and  sea,  was  utterly  unsafe.  The  people  knew  the 
fact  well :  the  proper  time  to  cross  is  the  early  morning 
before  the  wind  rises  :  but  why  had  they  not  the  moral 
courage  to  tell  us  plainly  ? 

The  mists  had  disappeared ;  the  afternoon  was  bright ; 
and  the  entire  province  in  all  its  strangeness  lay  before  us. 
"We  took  a  few  observations,  which  proved  to  be  of  unusual 
value,  and  quietly  settled  down  for  the  night  in  Ambohit- 
sara.  The  chapel  was  a  poor  place  to  stay  in;  it  was 
indeed  "  an  airy  habitation  and  a  name."  But  the  tents 
provided  sleeping  quarters,  and  we  bore  the  reeking  atmos- 
phere and  the  cold  winds  as  we  best  could. 

On  Wednesday  morning  at  seven  we  crossed  the  lake  in 
smooth  water.  A  dozen  canoes  had  been  brought  for  us ; 
of  which  several  were  good  boats,  over  thirty  feet  long  and 
four  feet  wide,  hollowed  from  a  single  tree.  The  morning 
was  bright  and  the  sail  across  was  delightful.  We  landed 
at  Ambohitsoa,  just  where  an  arm  of  the  lake  runs  in  to 
the  eastern  hills.  And  when  we  stood  at  the  top  of  the 
bank,  and  looked  around,  the  view  was  simply  enchanting. 
The  lake  stretched  far  away  to  the  southward,  its  waters  of 
a  clear,  delicate  blue;  to  the  north  its  many  arms  ran  in 
among  the  purple  hills ;  the  green  swamp  with  its  dense 
forest  of  tall,  shapely  reeds,  lay  to  the  west :  the  headlands 
were  dotted  with  villages,  each  with  its  little  church :  the 


PROVINCE  AND  PEOPLE. 


259 


mountains  lay  behind  us,  crowned  with  dark  woods  :  and 
over  all  was  the  clear  azure  of  an  unclouded  sky.  As  we 
stood  silently  contemplating  this  vast  and  varied  picture, 
we  thought  we  had  beheld  no  fairer  scene  in  all  Madagas- 
car than  the  landscape  at  our  feet. 

Three  miles  away  toward  the  south,  and  on  the  road 
home  again,  was  the  village  of  Marosalazana,  a  neat,  clean 
place  of  fifty  houses.  Our  visit  had  been  expected,  and 
made  quite  a  gala  day  among  the  kind  and  simple  people 
of  this  retired  corner  of  the  world.  Some  four  hundred 
had  assembled,  dressed  in  their  best.  And  in  the  centre 
of  the  village,  on  a  raised  platform,  sat  all  the  scholars 
ready  to  be  examined.  Their  dresses  and  ornaments  were 
quite  a  study.  The  Hova  girls  had  the  smooth  hair  and 
braided  bands,  common  in  Imerina.  The  Sihanaka 
women  and  girls  had  their  hair  in  numerous  plaited 
strands  :  they  wore  numerous  chains  round  the  neck,  with 
coins  and  medals ;  they  had  also  bracelets  and  armlets  : 
and  their  dresses  were  chiefly  of  blue  "  Pondicherry  cloth." 
It  was  a  pleasure  to  look  on  their  bright,  happy  faces,  and 
see  the  keen,  inquiring  looks  with  which  they  scanned  our 
dress  and  faces,  and  noted  everything  we  said  and  did. 
The  elder  of  the  village,  a  venerable  and  genial  old  man, 
at  once  came  forward  with  the  people  and  bade  us  wel- 
come. After  the  usual  inquiries  and  presents,  which 
included  some  enormous  sugar  canes,  he  spoke  of  the 
object  of  our  visit,  told  us  of  the  wants  of  the  churches 
and  schools  ;  and  expressed  on  the  part  of  all  their  thanks 
and  their  joy  in  the  prospect  of  having  Mr.  Pearse  to  live 
among  them. 

Mr.  Sibree  then  examined  the  scholars;  and  they  seemed 


260 


THE  SIHANAKA 


proud  to  exhibit  their  attainments  and  the  efforts  they  had 
made  to  get  on.  They  read  from  their  school  books  and 
the  New  Testament :  answered  readily  questions  from  the 
Catechism  and  sang  to  us  several  hymns.  Their  teacher 
had  been  diligent  and  faithful ;  and  it  was  a  pleasure 
specially  to  recognise  the  earnestness  with  which,  unknown 
to  men,  he  had  been  doing  his  appointed  work.  This  was 
one  of  the  most  pleasant  opportunities  and  interviews  we 
had  enjoyed  with  the  Sihanaka  people :  and  it  proved  to 
be  the  last.  The  impressions  which  it  left  can  never  be 
effaced. 

All  over  the  Sihanaka  country  we  had  noticed  the  sin- 
gular manner  in  which  the  people  erect  memorials  of  the 
dead.  They  take  the  thin  poles  of  the  vintdna  tree,  fix 
them  firmly  in  the  ground,  and  under  the  high  fork  of  the 
tree  they  fasten  a  number  of  cattle-skulls  and  one  or  more 
tin  boxes,  baskets  or  mats.  The  latter  articles  were  the 
property  of  the  deceased :  the  skulls  belonged  to  the  cattle 
slaughtered  at  his  decease.  The  relics  are  placed  there, 
doubtless,  according  to  the  usual  custom  of  the  Malay 
tribes,  best  known  to  Englishmen  from  the  North  American 
Indians,  under  the  idea  that  they  will  be  useful  to  the  de- 
ceased in  the  world  to  which  he  has  gone.  In  the  tombs 
of  the  nobles  throughout  Imerina,  and  especially  in  those 
of  the  royal  family,  the  amount  of  property  laid  up  in 
former  days  was  very  great.  Forty  years  ago,  on  the  death 
of  one  of  our  scholars,  a  young  noble,  his  books,  slate, 
pencils  and  copy  books  were  placed  with  him  in  his  tomb. 
Christianity,  the  great  teacher  of  common  sense,  will  soon 
change  all  that.  Outside  Marosalazana  we  found  a  larger 
group  of  these  memorial  poles  than  we  had  found  any- 


PROVINCE  AND  PEOPLE. 


261 


where  else.  There  were  twenty-four  in  all  in  six  rows  of 
four  each  :  and  we  thought  that  the  village  had  been 
named  from  them. 

Close  to  Marosalazana  and  at  the  end  of  the  ridge  on 
which  it  is  built,  stands  the  old  fortress  and  town  of  Am- 
bohitrandriana,  "  Prince's  town."  It  occupies  the  end  of 
the  bluff,  and  overhangs  the  waters  of  the  lake  which 
guard  it  on  three  sides.  Deep  fosses  have  been  cut  around 
the  top,  especially  on  the  land  side,  with  a  view  to  render 
it  impregnable.  Only  five  of  the  Sihanaka  hills  have  been 
fortified  in  this  way.  A  recognition  of  all  the  circum- 
stances of  the  province  and  the  manners  of  the  people 
produced  the  conviction  that  the  Sihanaka  province  has 
been  colonised  from  the  east  coast,  and  that  its  inhabitants 
are  an  offshoot  of  the  Betsimisaraka  tribe.  Their  houses 
are  Betsimisaraka ;  their  dress,  their  ornaments,  the  plaits 
of  their  hair,  the  necklaces  of  their  women,  are  all  from 
the  same  quarter.  As  a  people  they  stand  almost  entirely 
alone.  On  the  south  lies  the  province  of  Ankay,  the  only 
district  easily  accessible :  but  all  the  northern  part  of 
Ankay  is  uninhabited ;  its  population  are  Tanala  and 
Bezanozano,  working  from  the  south :  and  their  villages 
have  not  yet  reached  the  large  district  without  inhabitants 
through  which  we  ourselves  had  passed.  Access  to  the 
province  on  the  west,  east  and  north  is  barred  off  by  the 
great  mountains.  In  the  north-east  is  the  valley  of  the 
Maningory  river,  the  outlet  of  the  Lake  Waters.  It  is 
evident  that  some  pioneers,  ascending  this  valley  from  the 
sea  coast  near  Fenoarivo,  discovered  the  great  plain,  saw 
the  rich  soil,  appreciated  its  capabilities,  and  invited  their 
friends.    The  largest  number  of  villages  is  still  in  this 


262 


THE  SIHAXAKA 


north-eastern  corner,  around  the  head  of  the  lake.  From 
this  point  they  spread  southward  along  the  level  shores  on 
its  east  side  :  they  founded  the  town  of  Ambatondrazaka  : 
and  still  pressing  on  have  rounded  the  south  end  of  the 
swamps  and  turned  northward  again  along  the  western 
shore.  Other  colonists  have  passed  along  the  northern  end 
of  the  waters  and  the  two  streams  have  not  yet  met,  com- 
pleted the  circle,  and  filled  the  land.  If  this  view  be  a 
sound  one,  no  better  place  can  have  been  chosen  for  their 
first  town,  and  a  safe  dwelling  for  their  chief,  than  the 
lofty  bluff  of  Ambohitrandrian.  To  this  day  they  hold 
constant  intercourse  with  the  coast  by  the  valley  of  the 
Maningory.  But  if  they  be  Betsimisarakas,  how  came 
they  to  change  their  name  ?  They  did  so  for  a  simple  but 
sufficient  reason,  derived  from  their  new  position.  The 
word  hdnaka  is  an  old  Malagasy  word  for  "lake:"  si- 
hdnaka  denotes  many  lakes  and  pools  of  water.  The 
colonists  appropriately  gave  this  name  to  their  new  home  ; 
and  for  themselves  they  became  Antsihdnalca,  "  Lakers," 
"  the  Betsimisarakas  of  the  Lakes." 

Here  they  remained  for  many  generations,  an  isolated 
people ;  independent  indeed,  but  ignorant,  superstitious, 
given  to  charms  and  magic  and  witchcraft,  and  greatly 
addicted  to  drink.  A  hundred  years  ago,  the  great  ruler 
of  Imerina,  Impoin,  the  man  with  the  ambitious  mind  and 
the  strong  hand,  cast  his  eyes  on  the  territory.  What  he 
planned  and  partly  secured,  in  1823,  his  son  Radama  com- 
pleted :  and  though  the  Sihanaka  resisted,  he  conquered 
the  land  and  made  it  his  own.  The  last  stand  of  the 
people  was  made  on  the  island  of  Anosizanaka  under  the 
northern  hills.    It  was  not  taken  without  hard  fighting. 


PROVINCE  AND  PEOPLE. 


263, 


To  get  at  the  island,  Eadama  placed  his  cannon  and  people 
on  rafts.  The  rain  fell  in  torrents  :  the  muskets  and  guns 
were  useless ;  and  the  first  attack  failed.  Some  of  the 
soldiers  fled  and,  according  to  the  prevailing  custom,  the 
leader  in  the  flight  was  burned.  A  second  effort  proved 
successful.  Like  other  tribes,  notably  the  Bezanozano,  the 
Sihanaka  have  paid  a  heavy  price  to  the  conqueror.  Until 
recent  years,  when  they  felt  the  power  of  the  gospel,  the 
Hovas  were  hard  taskmasters.  And  no  one  is  more  truly 
conscious  of  the  great  wrongs  they  have  done  to  various 
parts  of  the  country,  or  more  truly  anxious  to  repair  the 
injustice  now,  than  the  able  Minister  who  is  the  head  of 
the  nation  in  the  present  day. 

Christianity  however  is  the  best  friend  of  the  Sihanaka  ; 
and  it  is  working  among  them  with  power.  It  is  moder- 
ating the  rule  and  the  demands  of  their  governors.  It  is 
uniting  the  two  races  together.  It  is  strengthening  the 
order,  the  security,  the  peace  in  which  the.  people  live. 
Everywhere  the  fortressed  hills  are  deserted  for  the  open 
plain.  Police  are  little  needed.  Property  is  secure.  The 
great  cattle-herds  roam  over  the  grassy  hills,  almost 
without  attendants. 

The  gospel  was  brought  to  them  by  their  own  country- 
men;  and  it  is  almost  entirely  by  native  agency  and  by 
the  native  churches  that  it  has  been  since  sustained. 
Seven  years  ago  some  of  the  Christian  officers  and  soldiers 
of  the  garrison  in  Ambatondrazaka  applied  to  their  minister, 
the  Eev.  R  G.  Hartley,  for  a  teacher.  A  young  man, 
named  Eabe,  who  was  teacher  of  their  day-school,  was 
selected  by  Mr.  Hartley's  people  for  the  purpose.  He  was 
a  slave,  but  they  purchased  his  freedom ;  and  for  three 


264 


THE  SIS  AN AK  A 


years  he  did  the  people  in  the  province  good  service ; 
greatly  assisted  by  the  young  Sihanaka,  who  is  pastor  at 
the  present  time.  In  1869  they  were  visited  by  Mr. 
Pearse.  In  the  same  year  the  great  stimulus  which  sprang 
from  the  burning  of  the  idols  reached  them.  And  they 
have  derived  continual  benefit  from  the  growth  and  im- 
provement of  the  Hova  churches  in  Imerina,  whence 
officers  and  soldiers  with  their  families  continually  go 
and  come. 

Would  we  know  what  the  gospel  has  already  done  for 
them,  let  us  look  at  the  picture  drawn  of  them  by  their 
teacher,  Babe,  when  he  first  arrived  among  them  At  that 
time,  he  says, — 

"  Only  a  person  here  and  there  could  be  found  who 
washed  their  clothes;  for  everyone's  dress  was  smeared  with 
castor  oil,  and  they  thought  it  would  spoil  their  clothing 
to  wash  them,  as  they  would  be  soon  worn  out ;  so  that 
the  clothing  of  the  people  was  offensive  to  the  last  degree. 
For  that  reason  the  dark  blue  cotton  was  generally  worn, 
as  it  was  nearly  black  to  begin  with.  But  now  there  is 
hardly  anyone  who  does  not  wash  his  clothes,  and  has  not 
white  dress.  Not  long  ago,  when  it  was  evening,  the 
young  men  in  the  villages  used  to  form  into  two  parties, 
and  had  violent  boxing-matches  all  through  the  village,  the 
women  also  often  joining  in  the  fray.  But  now  no  one 
practises  this  rough  sport.  Not  long  ago,  rum  was  what 
the  people  chiefly  delighted  in ;  and  if  any  strangers  who 
visited  them  were  not  made  thoroughly  drunk,  the  owner 
of  the  house  was  looked  upon  as  inhospitable,  although  he 
gave  them  the  best  of  everything  to  eat.  One  day  I,  with 
five  others,  happened  to  be  staying  at  a  certain  village,  and 


PROVINCE  AND  PEOPLE.  265 

the  people  of  the  house  in  which  we  stayed,  brought  thirty- 
bottles  of  rum  and  a  small  water-pot  half  full  for  us  to 
drink  together  with  the  family.  And  although  we  re- 
proved them,  it  was  with  difficulty  we  prevented  them 
from  drinking,  until  they  saw  we  were  really  in  earnest. 
And  this  is  but  a  sample  of  the  love  of  the  people  for 
drink.  So  that  at  night  there  was  great  disturbance  every- 
where from  drunken  people.  But  now  there  is  nothing  of 
that  kind,  for  if  anyone  is  seen  drunk  by  his  companions 
he  is  exceedingly  ashamed ;  and  those  who  still  like  excess 
drink  in  secret,  for  everyone  now  knows  the  folly  of  it. 
And  what  has  brought  about  such  a  change  but  the  spread- 
ing of  the  Word  of  God  ?  " 

There  are  now  thirty -one  churches  in  the  Sihanaka 
province;  and  in  a  few  years,  judging  from  the  villages 
we  saw,  the  number  will  be  increased.  Of  the  strength  of 
their  principle  and  the  vitality  of  their  piety  we  saw 
abundant  proofs.  Left  to  themselves  they  keep  holy  the 
Sabbath  ;  they  maintain  public  worship ;  they  have  chosen 
pastors  for  their  instruction;  they  pay  teachers  for  edu- 
cating their  children.  From  small  beginnings  they  have 
grown  numerous  and  strong.  The  grace  of  God  which  has 
helped  their  brethren,  which  has  helped  converts  in  other 
lands,  has  strengthened  and  upheld  them.  Their  family 
life  has  grown  purer,  the  great  vice  of  drinking  has  vastly 
diminished  :  the  soiled  clothes  are  replaced  by  clean  dress. 
Order,  peace,  fellowship  and  good  will  prevail  among  them. 
And  the  root  of  all  this  regeneration  and  revival  is  the 
simple  Gospel  of  Christ. 

They  will  gain  greatly  by  the  proposed  residence  among 
them  of  their  friend  Mr.  Pearse  and  a  younger  colleague. 


266 


THE  SIHANAKA 


The  Christian  women  too  will  greatly  benefit  by  the  advice 
and  example  of  one  or  two  English  ladies  in  their  midst. 
The  work  of  a  wise  Englishman  in  these  young  com- 
munities, is  to  shorten  processes  of  growth,  to  remove 
difficulties,  to  warn  against  errors,  to  expound  the  Scrip- 
tures more  fully,  to  organise  efficient  agencies,  especially 
schools ;  to  stimulate  by  his  example  and  his  higher  know- 
ledge ;  and  in  other  ways  to  bring  the  power,  the  experi- 
ence, and  the  resources  of  a  higher  Christian  civilisation  to 
bear  upon  the  elevation  and  improvement  of  these  children 
in  the  faith.  The  willingness  of  these  converts,  the 
earnestness  with  which  they  have  kept  their  faith,  and 
their  longing  for  more  light  and  higher  life,  indicate  that 
our  friends  have  before  them  a  noble  prospect  of  useful- 
ness. 

Judging  from  our  survey  and  the  map  resulting  from  it, 
the  Sihanaka  province,  within  its  bordering  ranges,  covers 
a  space  of  about  two  thousand  square  miles.  It  is  a  vast 
basin  in  the  midst  of  these  hills,  having  a  clear  lake  and  a 
great  reedy  swamp  in  the  centre.  The  levels,  redeemed 
for  rice  culture  and  pasturage,  and  the  dry  ridges  above 
them,  form  but  a  limited  portion  of  the  whole.  The 
Alaotra  lake  lies  nearer  to  the  eastern  than  the  western 
shore  :  it  is  hammer-headed  in  shape,  and  has  a  length  of 
thirty-two  miles,  with  a  breadth  of  four  or  five.  The  reed 
swamps,  with  their  numerous  arms  cover  a  space  of  over 
six  hundred  square  miles. 

The  population  of  the  province  we  estimated  at  forty 
thousand  people.  "We  counted  some  sixty  villages  and 
small  towns  in  the  district,  of  which  only  three  have  more 
than  six  hundred  inhabitants. 


PROVINCE  AND  PEOPLE. 


267 


The  day  following  our  pleasant  visit  to  Marosalazana 
and  its  bright  scholars,  we  reached  Ambatondrazaka  once 
more.  Most  reluctantly  we  quitted  our  kind  friend  the 
governor  and  his  people  to  plunge  once  more  into  the 
wilderness.  But  time  was  pressing;  we  explained  the  case 
to  our  bearers,  stimulated  them  by  the  offer  of  a  day's 
pay ;  and  they  bore  us  vigorously  over  the  rough  hills. 
More  than  ever  we  admired  the  soft,  rich  foliage  of  the 
forest;  we  climbed  the  lofty  "  Gate  of  rock,"  and  rested 
for  another  quiet  Sunday  at  Anjozorobe.  Again  we  tra- 
versed the  basin  of  the  Mananara;  crossed  over  the  granite 
moors ;  had  a  pic-nic  tiffin  in  "  Boulder  Glen  "  ;  and  slept 
in  peace  in  the  handsome  church  of  Ambohitrerena.  The 
next  day,  July  7th,  at  noon,  we  reached  the  capital,  glad 
and  grateful  for  the  wonders  we  had  seen. 


CHAPTER  IX, 


OUR  JOURNEY  TO  MO  JANG  A. 


Last  Meetings  in  the  Capital — Farewell  interview  with  the  Queen — De- 
parture to  Vonizongo — North  Vonizongo — Angavo — The  five  Garrison 
Towns — Religious  'condition  of  their  People — Crossing  the  Wilderness 
— No  man's  land — The  Cataracts  of  the  Ikopa — Vast  deposits  of  Drift 
— Town  of  Mevatanana — Voyage  in  Canoes — J  unction  of  the  Ikopa  and 
Betsiboka  Rivers — Amparihibe — Crocodiles  in  the  River — The  Level 
Plains — Town  of  Trabonjy,  its  Governor  and  People — Marovoay — Ar- 
rival at  Mojanga  :  Its  Churches  and  People — Religious  condition  of 
the  District— Trade  and  History  of  Moianga\ 


CHAPTER  IX. 


OUR  JOURNEY  TO  MOJAXGA. 

Our  work  in  Imerina  was  done  :  we  had  only  a  fortnight 
left  to  make  our  preparations  for  another  voyage,  to  com- 
plete sundry  matters  of  business,  and  say  farewell  to  our 
friends.  The  day  after  our  return  we  attended  the  open- 
ing services  of  Mr.  Jukes's  church  at  Ankadibevdva  on  the 
east  slope  of  the  city-hill.  The  Directors  of  the  Society 
had  assisted  the  native  congregation  by  a  grant  of  £300  : 
and  for  that  sum  and  other  contributions  raised  by  the 
people,  Mr.  Pool  had  erected  a  substantial  and  handsome 
building,  convenient  for  worship  and  an  ornament  to  the 
city.  The  church,  when  the  seats  are  finished,  will  hold 
eight  hundred  people.  The  congregations  were  large  at 
the  opening  services,  and  as  in  other  lands  on  similar 
occasions  the  ladies  appeared  in  bright  and  even  gorgeous 
dresses.  Several  new  hymns  and  tunes,  prepared  for  the 
occasion,  were  most  effectively  sung  by  choirs  from  various 
churches  and  the  congregation  at  large.  Amongst  other 
addresses,  a  touching  sermon  was  preached  by  an  officer 
high  in  the  Government  and  the  community,  from  the 
text :  "  Inasmuch  as  ye  have  done  it  unto  one  of  the  least 
of  these  my  brethren,  ye  have  done  it  unto  me." 
/ 


272 


OUR  JOURNEY  TO  MOJANGA. 


Among  minor  incidents  of  our  life  at  this  time,  I  may 
mention  that,  while  spending  a  pleasant  evening  with  Dr. 
Davidson,  the  house  and  city  were  well  shaken  by  an 
earthquake,  the  second  we  have  experienced  during  our 
year  in  the  island.  The  shock  was  a  moderate  one,  and  its 
general  direction  was  north  and  south. 

On  Thursday,  July  16th,  we  were  invited  to  a  very 
pleasant  entertainment,  by  the  members  of  the  Friends' 
Mission,  the  Medical  Mission  and  of  our  own  Society,  that 
they  might  express  their  kind  feelings  toward  us  in  rela- 
tion to  our  visit,  and  together  wish  us  farewell.  The 
members  of  the  Friends'  Mission  have  all  along  been 
working  in  perfect  harmony  with  our  own  :  and  it  was  a 
source  of  great  satisfaction  to  my  colleague  and  myself, 
that  by  making  their  acquaintance,  looking  into  the  form 
and  character  of  their  work,  and  settling  one  or  two  ques- 
tions which  had  been  pending,  we  had  been  able  to  draw 
the  bonds  between  the  two  missions  even  closer  than 
before.  To  the  members  of  the  Medical  Mission  the 
families  of  our  mission  are  under  great  obligations  for 
constant  and  unvarying  kindness :  while  in  their  special 
work  of  giving  effective  help  to  the  native  families  of  the 
city,  young  and  old,  rich  and  poor,  and  in  the  medical 
education  of  young  men,  our  brethren  and  ourselves  can 
feel  nothing  but  warm  sympathy,  and  give  them  willing 
co-operation  and  aid.  The  stations  of  the  Norwegian 
Mission  we  had  seen  in  various  parts  of  the  southern 
country  ;  and  from  all  the  missionary  brethren,  in  country 
and  in  town,  we  had  experienced  great  kindness.  The 
members  of  all  four  missions  are  at  the  present  time  in 
complete  accord  ;  they  have  the  same  spiritual  aims;  they 


OUR  JOURNEY  TO  MO  JANG  A. 


273 


teach  the  same  Evangelical  doctrine:  they  are  co-operating 
in  many  ways  together  in  their  plans  :  and  week  by  week 
they  meet  together  in  each  other's  homes  to  ask  for  the 
same  Divine  blessing  on  the  missions  to  which  they 
belong.  That  we  had  done  anything  to  promote  this 
loving  union,  was  a  source  of  much  pleasure  to  us  both. 
We  were  assured  in  various  quarters  that  it  was  so.  And 
at  this  social  gathering  Mr.  Dahl  spoke  in  affectionate  and 
emphatic  terms  of  the  benefit  which,  in  this  direction  of 
union,  our  visit  had  conferred  upon  them  all. 

The  native  pastors  manifested  the  warmest  affection 
toward  us,  as  the  time  of  our  departure  drew  near:  and  on 
Saturday  evening  they  paid  us  a  formal  visit.  Fifteen 
were  present.  They  said  kind  things  of  ourselves  and  our 
coming  amongst  them  :  gave  each  of  us  a  beautiful  silk 
lamba  as  a  parting  gift :  sent  the  most  affectionate 
messages  to  the  Directors  and  the  friends  of  the  Society  at 
home  ;  and  then  requested  Mr.  Pillans  as  a  pastor  of  long 
experience  to  give  them  some  parting  counsels  in  regard 
to  their  work.  When  he  had  finished  the  younger  pastors, 
who  had  but  just  left  the  College  and  entered  upon  Church 
work,  asked  for  a  few  special  words  for  themselves.  No 
young  pastors  in  England  could  have  made  the  request 
more  naturally,  have  listened  more  intelligently,  or  have 
been  more  grateful  for  the  weighty  words  which  fell  from 
my  colleague's  lips,  than  these  young  men.  And  it  gives 
us  hope  and  confidence  in  regard  to  the  future  of  our 
churches,  that  such  are  the  simple,  true-hearted,  well- 
trained  ministers  of  Christ,  whom  our  Theological  College 
has  begun  to  send  forth  to  be  the  guides  and  instructors  of 
the  Malagasy  Church. 

s 


274 


OUR  JOURNEY  TO  MO  JANG  A. 


Our  friends  within  the  Palace  also  studiously  manifested 
their  regard  for  us.  Three  of  the  principal  officers,  from 
whom  we  have  all  along  received  much  kindness,  visited 
us,  and  presented  us  with  dresses  and  other  manufactures 
of  the  country ;  each  giving  us  different  specimens  of 
native  work.  And  one,  not  only  sent  messages  to  his 
young  cousins,  now  being  educated  in  Europe,  but  desired 
us  to  express  his  warmest  thanks  to  the  Directors  and  our 
Churches,  for  the  service  which  they  have  long  rendered 
to  his  countrymen  in  Madagascar  by  preaching  among 
them  the  gospel  of  Christ.  The  Queen  and  Prime  Mini- 
ster added  many  expressions  and  proofs  of  their  regard  to 
those  of  their  relatives  and  friends.  And  it  was  arranged 
that  on  the  morning  of  Saturday,  July  18th,  the  Queen 
should  in  the  presence  of  the  Court,  grant  us  audience  to 
say  farewell,  as  she  had  given  us  a  formal  reception  on  our 
arrival ;  and  that  she  should  then  place  in  our  hands  her 
reply  to  the  Address  of  the  Directors  which  we  had  brought 
with  us. 

We  were  accompanied  by  several  members  of  the 
Mission,  including  our  kind  interpreter,  the  Ptev.  W.  E. 
Cousins,  and  punctually  at  ten  o'clock  we  were  introduced. 
The  Queen  received  us  in  the  usual  audience  hall  of  her 
own  palace.  She  was  seated  on  a  sofa  on  the  north  side 
of  the  hall :  and  we  observed  that  she  had  under  her  feet 
a  gilded  footstool,  sent  by  a  member  of  my  family,  while 
an  illuminated  Scripture  card,  given  by  Mrs.  Pillans,  was 
hanging  on  the  wall ;  a  thoughtful  recognition  of  little 
attentions  shown  to  her  in  our  first  interview.  There  was 
a  large  assembly  of  the  officers  of  government,  who  stood 
chiefly  on  the  Queen's  right :  and  almost  as  numerous  a 


OUR  JOURNEY  TO  MOJANGA. 


275 


gathering  of  ladies,  who  were  seated  in  two  rows  upon  her 
left,  wearing  English  morning  dress.  The  interview  was 
a  remarkable  one  in  many  ways. 

Addressing  the  Queen  for  my  colleague  and  myself  I 
made  the  usual  enquiries  after  her  health,  and  the  welfare 
of  her  kingdom ;  and  then  said  that  we  had  completed  the 
work  which  had  brought  us  to  Madagascar,  and  had  come 
to  say  farewell.  We  had  been  sent  by  their  friends  across 
the  sea  to  salute  the  churches  of  Madagascar,  to  consult 
with  them  and  with  the  missionaries  as  to  their  welfare,  to 
arrange  for  the  enlargement  of  the  mission,  and  to  visit 
those  parts  of  the  country  in  which  the  mission  is  carried 
on.  We  had  in  this  way  visited  the  Betsileo  province  and 
Imamo,  Vonizongo  and  the  Sihanaka ;  we  had  described  to 
her  in  our  letters  what  we  had  seen,  and  especially  had 
expressed  our  gratification  at  the  great  progress  of  the 
gospel  among  the  churches  of  her  people.  We  were  now 
anxious  to  see  the  churches  in  the  Sakalava  country,  and 
proposed  to  take  the  English  steamer  at  Mojanga. 

We  thanked  her  and  the  Prime  Minister  for  much  per- 
sonal kindness ;  for  their  warm  interest  in  the  welfare  of 
the  churches ;  and  for  the  wise  words  spoken  by  the  Queen 
on  several  occasions  about  the  schools.  We  thanked  them 
for  their  special  interest  in  the  progress  of  the  students  in 
the  College  and  in  the  Xormal  Schools :  and  we  com- 
mended these  institutions  to  their  continued  care.  We 
thanked  the  Queen  for  her  care  over  the  English  mission- 
aries ;  and  that  they  and  their  families  and  ourselves  lived 
so  safely  in  the  land.  Might  we  add  one  thing.  We  had 
seen  how  the  churches  were  growing :  how  they  worshipped, 
and  kept  the  Sabbath-day  and  were  governed  in  an  orderly 


27G 


OUR  JOURNEY  TO  MOJANGA. 


way.  But  forms  were  not  faith :  the  spirit  and  life  are 
needed  :  the  Teacher  is  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  root  and  rule 
of  faith  are  to  be  found  only  in  His  word.  We  should 
pray  for  the  churches  that  they  might  have  this  life  in  a 
large  measure  :  Madagascar  has  many  friends  in  England, 
and  will  have  many  more.  To  this  Mr.  Pillans  added  a  few 
words.  The  address  was  translated  sentence  by  sentence 
by  Mr.  Cousins ;  as  was  also  the  reply. 

The  reply  of  the  Prime  Minister  was  warm  and  hearty. 
The  Queen  (he  said)  was  pleased  to  see  us  again  and  to 
hear  our  words  ;  those  words  were  good.  The  Queen  and 
himself  thanked  the  Directors  for  their  kind  presents  and 
the  messages  they  had  sent.  They  were  glad,  very  glad, 
to  see  the  progress  of  the  gospel  among  their  people :  for 
"  What  should  it  profit  a  man  if  he  gain  the  whole  world, 
yet  lose  his  own  soul  ?"  They  were  glad  we  had  come  to 
visit  the  churches  and  the  island :  they  had  often  wished 
that  some  friends  might  specially  be  sent  to  see  the  pro- 
gress which  the  mission  and  people  had  made :  therefore 
they  had  given  us  full  opportunity  to  travel  everywhere 
and  see  things  for  ourselves :  they  had  nothing  to  conceal, 
they  wished  us  to  see  that  the  money  and  labour  expended 
on  Madagascar  had  not  been  expended  in  vain.  In  respect 
to  the  missionaries,  he  said  they  thought  them  good  men 
and  good  preachers  and  did  their  work  wrell :  but  we  were 
sensible  men  and  could  judge  of  this  for  ourselves.  The 
Queen  would  still  protect  them  and  permit  them  to  con- 
tinue their  work  in  perfect  freedom. 

The  Prime  Minister  then,  in  the  name  of  the  Queen, 
desired  us  to  convey  their  thanks  to  the  Directors  for  all 
the  good  which  the  Society  had  been  doing  in  Madagascar. 


OUR  JOURNEY  TO  210  JANG  A. 


277 


They  remembered  that  it  was  our  Society,  which  had  sent 
missionaries  and  the  gospel  in  the  days  of  Eadama  L : 
that  it  had  always  been  their  friend;  and  that  it  was  now 
sending  thirty  missionaries  for  the  instruction  of  their 
people.  Therefore  they  desired  us  to  convey  their  thanks 
to  the  friends  of  the  Society  across  the  sea  for  all  their 
kindness.  He  added  a  special  message  about  the  educa- 
tion of  his  son,  who  is  under  the  care  of  the  Directors. 
Lastly  the  Queen  regretted  that  we  could  not  be  present 
at  the  opening  of  the  Palace-church ;  she  would  have  liked 
us  to  be  present :  but  we  could  see  that  it  was  not  yet 
finished.    After  a  few  further  remarks  we  took  our  leave. 

The  written  address,  forwarded  by  the  Queen  in  reply  to 
that  of  the  Directors,  is  as  clear  and  explicit  as  the  Prime 
Minister's  spoken  words.  It  is  in  itself  a  most  interesting 
document.  But  the  authorities,  to  manifest  their  appre- 
ciation of  the  honour  which  the  Directors  had  shown  to 
them,  employed  all  the  means  in  their  power  to  illuminate 
and  ornament  their  reply  as  the  Directors  had  done.  The 
result  was  a  work  of  art  most  creditable  to  the  island :  it 
gave  the  Board  great  satisfaction ;  and  it  will  be  framed 
and  placed  in  the  Board-room.  The  words  are  as  follows: — 

"  To  the  Directors  of  the  London  Missionary  Society. 

"  Gentlemen, 

"  Our  good  friends,  the  Eev.  Dr.  Mullens,  Foreign 
Secretary  to  the  London  Missionary  Society,  and  the 
Rev.  J.  Pillans,  one  of  the  Directors,  and  his  lady,  have 
reached  Madagascar  in  safety;  and,  whilst  we  were  in 
Fianarantsoa,  had  an  opportunity  of  joining  with  Her 
Majesty  and  myself  in  public  worship  at  the  camp. 


278 


OUR  JOURNEY  TO  MOJANGA. 


"  On  our  return  to  the  Capital,  they  had  again  an 
audience  of  Her  Majesty  and  myself  in  the  Palace,  and 
on  that  occasion  they  presented  your  Address,  dated  Lon- 
don, June  30,  1873,  together  with  the  various  presents 
sent  by  your  Society  to  Her  Majesty  and  myself. 

"  The  Address  has  been  carefully  perused,  and  its  con- 
tents duly  noted  by  Her  Majesty,  and  I  am  authorised 
by  Her  to  answer  it. 

"  I  have  to  inform  you  that,  through  the  blessings  of  the 
Divine  Being,  Her  Majesty  the  Queen,  myself  and  all 
the  members  of  the  Government,  are  well.  The  Kingdom 
enjoys  peace ;  but,  more  than  that,  Her  Majesty  is  happy 
to  tell  you,  that  by  the  power  of  the  Most  High  and  the 
mercy  of  Jesus  Christ  our  Saviour,  according  to  the  say- 
ing, '  The  King's  heart  is  in  the  hands  of  the  Lord,'  God 
has  shown  mercy  to  our  Sovereign,  and  has  enlightened 
her  to  know  Jesus  Christ,  and  has  endowed  her  with 
strength,  so  that  from  the  time  when  she  began  to  receive 
the  Gospel,  she  has  led  and  encouraged  her  subjects  to 
serve  God  and  pray  to  Him  through  Jesus  Christ,  and  to 
be  diligent  in  using  all  opportunities  of  acquiring  useful 
knowledge.  She  has  also  done  her  best  to  help  the  mis- 
sionaries of  your  Society,  so  that,  during  the  reign  of  Her 
Majesty  Eanavalomanjaka,  the  Kingdom  of  Christ  has 
made  great  progress  in  Madagascar,  and  the  number  of 
believers  has  increased  more  than  during  any  period,  not- 
withstanding the  way  in  which  the  missionaries  for  many 
years  contended  with  difficulties,  and  exerted  themselves 
to  the  utmost.  But  still  the  Queen  continues  to  pray 
God  that  His  Kingdom  may  advance  until  the  joyful 
words  shall  be  fulfilled  which  say,  '  They  shall  all  know 


OUR  JOURNEY  TO  MO  JANG  A. 


270 


Me,  from  the  least  of  them  unto  the  greatest  of  them,  saith 
the  Lord.' 

"  Her  Majesty  the  Queen  thanks  you,  the  Directors, 
and  all  the  constituents  of  the  Society,  because  she  knows 
your  ardent  desire  to  benefit  her  kingdom  by  your  sending 
Missionaries  and  Teachers  to  preach  and  teach  the  Gospel 
and  other  useful  knowledge,  from  the  reign  of  His  Majesty 
Badama  I.  to  the  present  time.  Her  Majesty  therefore 
wishes  me  to  assure  you  that  the  missionaries  and  teachers 
sent  by  you  to  labour  in  Madagascar  shall  continue  to 
enjoy  Her  protection,  and  be  allowed  full  liberty  to  preach 
the  Gospel,  and  to  impart  useful  knowledge  in  accordance 
with  the  laws  of  the  kingdom. 

"  Our  friends,  the  Eev.  Dr.  Mullens  and  the  Rev.  J. 
Pillans,  have  been  allowed  perfect  liberty  to  travel  where- 
ever  they  have  pleased  to  visit  the  Churches  of  Madagascar, 
they  have  had  full  opportunities  of  making  their  own 
observation,  and  will  be  able  to  bring  you  a  reliable  report 
of  the  state  of  things  here.  May  God  protect  them  to 
reach  you  in  safety !  What  they  have  done  here  has  been 
good,  and  has  given  us  much  pleasure.  They  are  worthy 
men,  and  well  fitted  to  act  as  the  representatives  of  you, 
our  friends,  across  the  seas.  We  are  especially  pleased 
with  their  words  saying, — '  We  do  not  trade  nor  desire 
to  gain  anything  eor  ourselves,  but  only  that  the  people 
may  know  Jesus  Christ.'  These  are  indeed  very  good 
words,  for  they  show  both  the  excellence  of  your  views, 
and  also  what  will  be  sought  by  your  good  brethren  the 
missionaries  in  Madagascar. 

"  Her  Majesty  thanks  you  very  much  for  your  kind 
message,  and  the  good  wishes  for  the  prosperity  of  her 


280 


OUR  JOURNEY  TO  MO  JANG  A. 


kingdom ;  and  she  prays  God  that  they  may  he  fulfilled. 
She  also  thanks  you  for  the  presents  you  sent  her,  and 
accepts  them  as  a  mark  of  your  friendly  feelings  towards 

HER. 

"  And  I,  too,  thank  you  very  much  for  the  nice  presents 
you  sent  to  me. 

u  Her  Majesty  also  desires  me  to  thank  you  for  the 
very  kind  care  you  have  taken  of  Rapenoelina,  for  he  was 
sent  "by  her  Government  that  he  might  obtain  a  good 
English  education.  What  you  have  done  for  him  has 
given  Her  Majesty  great  satisfaction,  as  his  progress  is 
already  manifest  from  his  letters  to  me.  Her  Majesty 
will  be  pleased  if  you  convey  to  Bapenoelina's  teacher 
the  thanks  of  heeself  and  her  Government  ;  for  his  in- 
struction and  kind  care  have  given  her  very  much  plea- 
sure. 

"May  the  Almighty  God  bless  you  in  your  useful 
labours  for  the  evangelizing  of  mankind,  and  may  He  ever 
give  to  the  people  earnest  hearts  to  help  you  to  spread  the 
Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  among  all  nations. 

"  That,  dear  friends,  is  the  wish  of  Her  Majesty  the 
Queen  of  Madagascar  and  myself  for  you  all. 

"  I  am,  Gentlemen, 
'  In  the  name  of  Her  Majesty  the  Queen  of  Madagascar, 
"Yode  Sincere  Friend, 

"  Eainilaiarivony, 

"  Prime  Minister. 

"  Given  at  the  Court  of  Her  Majesty  the  Queen 
of  Madagascae,  at  Antananaeivo,  this  18th 
day  of  July,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord,  1874." 


OUR  JOURNEY  TO  MOJANGA. 


281 


The  news  of  what  had  passed  at  this  interview,  was 
speedily  circulated  among  the  people,  and  gave  them  much 
satisfaction.  Pastors  and  congregations  everywhere  ex- 
pressed a  hearty  concurrence  with  the  words  of  their 
Sovereign ;  for  there  prevails  among  them  a  deep  feeling 
of  attachment  to  the  Society,  which  for  fifty  years  has 
stood  their  friend,  which  never  forgot  them  in  the  dark 
days,  which  sprang  at  once  to  their  side  when  light  and 
order  returned,  and  which  is  doing  at  the  present  time 
more  than  ever  for  the  edification  of  its  Malagasy  children. 

Our  heavy  baggage  was  sent  on  a-head.  On  Sunday 
we  held  a  farewell  service  with  our  missionary  brethren 
of  the  four  Societies  and  their  families :  and  on  Tuesday 
morning  many  of  them  accompanied  us  several  miles  along 
the  banks  of  the  Ikopa,  Then  with  difficulty  we  said 
farewell;  and  took  our  last  look  of  the  city  of  Anta- 
nanarivo, in  which  we  had  spent  so  many  pleasant  days. 
Just  at  sunset,  we  safely  reached  Vonizongo:  and  occupied 
our  old  quarters  at  Fihaonana  in  Mr.  Matthews's  house. 

The  route  to  the  north-west  coast  which  we  were  about 
to  follow  was  new  to  Englishmen,  though  employed  for  fifty 
years  by  the  native  authorities.  Since  Kadama  and  his 
cousin  Ramanetaka,  with  the  Hova  army,  subdued  the 
Iboina  district  in  1824,  and  governors  (or  commanders  as 
they  are  termed)  and  garrisons  had  been  placed  in  several 
of  its  towns,  messengers,  officers  and  detachments  of  troops 
have  continually  passed  up  and  down  country  between 
Imerina  and  the  conquered  province.  Unhappily  little 
information  could  be  gathered  from  them ;  for  our  native 
friends  make  neither  Itineraries  nor  maps ;  they  have  no 
good  standard  for  measuring  distance  or  time  :  and  changes 


282 


OUR  JOURNEY  TO  MOJANGA. 


in  the  scenery,  details  as  to  valleys,  hills  and  rivers,  are 
things  which  they  have  not  yet  learned  to  note.  M. 
Grandidier  travelled  from  Mojanga  to  the  Capital ;  but  he 
did  so  by  a  route  some  miles  to  the  east  of  our  own  :  and 
even  of  that  route  he  has  spoken  only  in  brief  terms. 
Mr.  Maynard,  who  returned  to  England  a  few  months 
before  ourselves,  had  at  our  suggestion  taken  this  route ; 
and  he  gave  us  several  valuable  hints  and  indicated  the 
general  character  of  our  journey.  A  colporteur  also  from 
Vonizongo  prepared  for  us  an  outline  of  his  own  proceed- 
ings and  adventures,  when  he  visited  the  churches  down 
country  last  year. 

All  parties  took  great  interest  in  our  proposed  expedi- 
tion :  the  majority  regarding  it  with  hearty  approval,  while 
others  gravely  shook  their  heads.  "  It  was  a  serious  ex- 
periment:" "the  fevers  were  deadly."  "  The  roads  were 
rough  and  rocky,"  said  the  bearers  :  "  Sakalavas,  enemies, 
robbers,  were  to  be  expected  : "  "  for  some  days  the  country 
was  a  desert ;  and  we  should  find  nothing  to  eat  for  our- 
selves and  our  people,  and  no  place  to  sleep ! "  We 
persevered;  for  we  have  conquered  such  difficulties  before: 
and  have  found  Malagasy,  as  well  as  English,  bugbears 
and  bogies  collapse  when  well  grasped.  It  was  of  import- 
ance that  the  churches  in  the  Sakalava  country  should  no 
longer  be  overlooked ;  that  an  attempt  should  be  made  to 
open  the  route  more  fully  to  Mojanga;  and  that  the 
Directors  should  be  enabled  to  decide  whether  an  English 
missionary  should  or  should  not  be  placed  at  that  station, 
with  a  view  to  superintend  the  churches  and  the  mission 
work  of  the  district  at  large.  The  fears  of  the  bearers 
could  of  course  be  gauged  by  money :  they  soon  showed 


OUR  JOURNEY  TO  MOJANGA.  283 


that  if  they  were  to  go  at  all,  they  intended  to  make  a  good 
thing  of  the  journey  :  and  it  was  not  without  difficulty 
that  their  exorbitant  demands  were  reduced  within  rea- 
sonable limits.  Even  then  we  had  to  pay  twenty-six 
shillings  to  each  man  for  the  journey  down,  before  our 
arrangements  could  be  completed  ;  and  several  of  our  best 
men  deserted  us  at  the  last  moment,  because  they  thought 
that  rate  not  sufficiently  remunerative.  Mr.  Matthews 
had  engaged  to  be  our  companion  and  interpreter :  but 
early  in  July,  family  illness  compelled  him  to  lay  the  plan 
aside,  and  Mr.  Jukes  very  kindly  took  his  place.  We 
were  greatlv  indebted  to  him  for  much  kind  and  effective 
service  rendered  to  us  on  the  way. 

In  Yonizongo  we  rested  a  day  to  complete  our  prepara- 
tions, to  rearrange  our  baggage,  and  write  our  last  letters. 
On  Thursday,  July  23d,  we  fairly  entered  upon  the  un- 
known;  and  we  reached  Mojanga  in  perfect  health  and 
comfort  on  Saturday,  August  8th,  having  spent  sixteen 
days  on  the  way.  All  our  men,  ninety-five  in  number, 
were  with  us,  suffering  from  nothing  worse  than  fatigue. 
And  it  was  amusing  to  find  that,  after  all  that  had  been 
said  and  feared,  we  had  had  one  of  the  most  safe,  easy  and 
enjoyable  journeys,  performed  during  our  visit  to  the 
island. 

The  country  we  now  visited  divides  itself  into  three 
sections,  differing  in  a  marked  degree  from  one  another. 
The  first  section  includes  the  inhabited  country  among  the 
hills  :  No-man's  land  occupies  the  middle  position ;  and  the 
Sakalava  plains,  as  far  as  the  sea,  take  the  third. 

The  first  section  of  our  journey  carried  us  along  four 
broad  terraces,  of  which  three  mark  very  decided  falls  of 


284 


OUR  JOURNEY  TO  MO  JANG  A. 


the  ground  towards  the  sea.  At  the  same  time  our  course 
led  us,  not  directly  to  the  most  abrupt  descent  of  the 
ground,  viz.  toward  the  west;  but  obliquely  along  the 
descent,  and  over  a  larger  space  of  ground.  This  is  the 
reason  why  we  found  the  journey  so  easy  and  pleasant. 

While  travelling  on  Thursday,  July  21,  through  Voni- 
zongo,  we  followed  the  track  we  had  already  taken,  on  that 
pleasant  Sunday  which  we  spent  in  December  1873,  with 
the  people  of  Sambaina.  As  then,  we  traversed  the  high 
moors  beyond  Fihaonana,  the  ground  rising  higher  and 
higher,  till  we  came  abreast  of  the  great  ridge  of  Ambohi- 
manga  which  here  curves  toward  the  east.  As  before,  the 
south-east  wind  blew  keen  and  cold  over  these  exposed 
moors,  which  lie  4600  feet  above  the  sea.  We  descended 
over  the  edge  of  the  ridge,  seven  hundred  feet :  and  came 
into  North  Vonizongo,  a  long  level  valley,  between  two 
pleasant  lines  of  hills  and  drained  by  the  river  Andranobe. 
On  the  left  we  had  the  noble  ridge  of  Ambohidambmana, 
with  a  large  village  Ambohizafy  at  its  foot.  Other  small 
villages  are  near.  Proceeding  due  north,  we  came  upon  a 
curious  bend  of  the  Andranobe  (3880  feet),  and  crossed 
that  river  twice.  The  people  informed  us  that  it  rises  on 
the  north  side  of  Andrinmtra  and  east  of  Lohavohitra  :  it 
passes  through  the  populous  valleys  near  Ambohitrolona, 
with  their  numerous  churches ;  rounding  the  promontory 
of  Ambohimanga,  it  enters  north  Vonizongo ;  and  having 
watered  that  valley  for  many  miles,  passes  through  the 
western  line  of  hills  and  falls  into  the  Ikopa.  We  have 
ourselves  seen  the  greater  part  of  this  course.  Passing  a 
few  villages  beyond  this  bend  of  the  river  we  came  to 
Ambohitromby,  where  our  men  had  their  morning  meal. 


OUR  JOURNEY  TO  MOJANGA. 


285 


We  ourselves  had  tiffin  in  a  private  house :  and  the 
good  people  took  the  opportunity  of  seeking  light  on 
a  variety  of  outside  Biblical  questions  which  trouble 
the  Malagasy  mind.  We  did  our  best  to  explain  them  : 
and  everything  would  have  gone  well,  if  the  long  strings 
of  venerable  soot  hanging  from  the  roof  had  not  diverted 

o  o 

themselves  by  dropping  contributions  into  our  rice  and 
tea.  A  pleasant  and  easy  journey  during  the  afternoon, 
brought  us  early  to  the  village  of  Ankazobe  (3830  feet). 
With  fourteen  houses,  surrounded  by  deep  fosses  and  high 
cactus  hedges,  full  of  dust  and  pigs,  a  chapel  with  a  falling 
wall,  clumsy  window-frames  and  no  windows,  it  was  not  a 
first-rate  place  of  accommodation  either  for  ourselves  or 
our  men.  We  managed  however :  though  the  night  was 
very  cold. 

Xext  day  we  continued  along  North  Vonizongo,  and 
sent  our  baggage  direct  to  Maharidaza,  a  few  miles  distant, 
where  we  were  to  sleep.  We  ourselves  turned  aside  to 
climb  the  lofty  ridge  of  Angavo  (4880  feet),  which  prom- 
ised numerous  and  valuable  observations.  We  had  a  long 
and  heavy  climb,  but  were  amply  repaid  by  the  prospect 
we  obtained.  It  was  no  scene  of  beauty  that  spread 
around  us  :  we  looked  upon  a  treeless,  empty  wilderness  : 
the  only  population  was  in  the  long  valley  up  which  we 
had  come.  The  whole  district  is  within  the  region  of  the 
sedimentary  clay :  the  valleys  have  been  scored  out  of  it 
by  water :  and  naturally  the  clay  hills  are  of  one  height. 
Looking  over  the  eastern  ridge  in  the  direction  of  the 
Anativolo,  we  could  not  discern  one  prominent  hill :  all 
the  summits  were  of  uniform  height.  To  the  west  it  was 
the  same.    The  only  exception  was  in  portions  of  ridges 


286 


OUR  JOURNEY  TO  MO  JANG  A. 


like  the  Angavo  on  which  we  stood.  This  was  a  grand 
mass  of  gneiss  ;  and  the  bluff  at  its  northern  end  is  a  lofty 
perpendicular  precipice,  one  of  the  finest  rocks  we  have 
seen  in  the  country.  Xorth  of  Angavo,  the  next  ridge  is 
unbroken,  the  valley  of  North  Vonizongo  is  completely 
shut  in  ;  part  of  the  waters  have  escaped  down  the  Andra- 
nobe  on  the  south-west :  the  remainder  have  swirled  round 
the  precipice  at  the  head  of  the  ridge,  have  cut  out  a  beau- 
tiful hollow  in  the  northern  hills  and  have  escaped  along 
the  west  side  of  Angavo,  down  what  is  now  the  valley  of 
the  Eiver  Antrobo.  The  ridge  itself  and  others  parallel 
with  it  trend  off  to  the  south-west.  To  the  south  Lohavo- 
hitra  and  Tsi-afa-balala  were  conspicuous  points  :  and  to 
the  north  we  fixed  the  position  of  several  prominent  hills, 
near  which  we  subsequently  passed  Descending  the 
Angavo  ridge  on  its  western  side,  we  crossed  the  Antrobo, 
and  as  we  went  along  saluted  the  inhabitants  of  Antan- 
drokomby,  a  village  of  forty  houses,  who  came  out  to  meet 
us.  The  precipice  of  Angavo  overhangs  this  village  and 
it  looked  grand  indeed,  as  we  passed  close  to  its  foot. 

Maharidaza  we  found  to  be  a  village  of  forty-two 
houses ;  very  dirty  and  with  countless  herds  of  swine. 
The  people  were  very  ignorant  but  very  willing.  Some  of 
them  had  never  seen  a  person  write,  until  Mrs.  Pillans 
showed  them  how  it  was  done  and  what  meaning  it  had. 
It  reminded  me  of  the  early  days  of  Eaiatea,  when  John 
"Williams,  to  the  astonishment  of  his  people,  used  "to  make 
chips  talk."  They  have  had  but  little  attention  paid  to 
their  wants,  and  although  there  are  chapels  all  up  the 
valley  to  this  point,  the  means  of  instruction  at  their 
command  have  been  very  scanty.    Xow  however  that  the 


OUR  JOURNEY  TO  MO  JANG  A. 


2S7 


organisation  of  the  Imerina  Mission  has  been  extended, 
Mr.  Stribling  will  probably  give  regular  superintendence 
to  all  these  churches.  With  them  and  their  neighbours 
the  ordinary  population  of  Northern  Imerina  in  this 
direction  comes  to  an  end. 

On  Saturday  we  had  a  short  journey.  Our  course  lay 
up  the  inner  bend  of  the  long  valley,  and  then  we  climbed 
over  the  ridge  by  the  pass  of  Ambohimena  (4800  feet)  : 
and  on  the  hill  to  the  west  we  took  several  useful  observa- 
tions. Nowhere  did  we  see  signs  of  upheaval  in  the  latest 
and  existing  stage  of  things.  The  entire  country  was 
sedimentary  clay,  which  had  buried  and  enveloped  the 
gneiss  ridges  and  boulders  of  an  earlier  time,  and  was  now 
cut  and  scored  to  great  depths  by  the  action  of  water. 

To  the  east  and  west  the  tops  of  the  hills  were  of  the 
same  height.  To  the  north  the  clay  had  given  way.  The 
red  hill  of  Ambohimena  and  the  ridge  to  which  it 
belongs  is  the  edge  of  the  Yonizongo  terrace.  On  the 
north  side  the  ground  begins  rapidly  to  fall.  And  we  pass 
down  two  or  three  long  stairs  before  we  reach  No-man's 
Land ;  the  total  fall  in  which,  over  a  length  of  sixty 
miles  is  1700  feet.  The  fall  was  patent  to  the  eye,  and  it 
showed  itself  in  two  parallel  valleys,  divided  by  a  remark- 
able line  of  conical  hills.  In  less  than  three  hours  we 
reached  Kinajy  (3490). 

The  town  of  Kinajy  is  the  first  of  a  series  of  military 
stations,  five  in  number,  in  the  direction  of  the  Sakalava 
country,  and  along  the  line  of  easiest  access.  It  is  the 
>  guard  and  gate  of  the  north-west  road  into  Imerina. 
Each  of  these  towns  has  its  commander,  its  government 
house,  and  its  garrison.    Each  is  at  the  same  time  a  great, 


288 


OUR  JOURNEY  TO  MOJANGA. 


cattle  post ;  and  immense  herds,  belonging  to  men  high  in 
authority  in  Imerina,  are  fed  and  tended  in  their  neigh- 
bourhood. The  kraals  in  which  they  are  kept  are  very 
large.  The  town  consists  of  sixty-eight  houses,  and  is 
placed  on  a  spur  of  the  hills,  having  many  deep  gullies  on 
its  northern  side.  On  the  south  it  has  a  double  gateway  : 
and  each  gate  can  be  closed  both  with  poles  and  stones. 
The  pigs  as  usual  were  multitudinous.  But  the  chapel 
was  a  clean  little  building,  neatly  fitted  with  mats,  and 
the  Governor  and  his  people  willingly  allowed  us  to 
•occupy  it.  We  spent  a  most  pleasant  Sunday  with  them. 
The  building  was  well  filled  both  morning  and  afternoon  : 
the  congregation  included  several  respectable  Hova  fami- 
lies, dressed  with  great  neatness  :  and  as  Mr.  Jukes  had 
not  yet  overtaken  us,  we  were  glad  to  find  that  we  had  in 
our  camp  two  native  preachers,  who  could  speak  well  and 
to  whom  the  people  listened  with  pleasure.  All  day  long 
we  were  receiving  applications  for  books,  especially  the 
new  lesson-book:  the  young  people  were  delighted  to 
practise  the  new  tunes  and  hymns ;  and  I  had  a  large 
number  of  patients  suffering  from  feverish  colds. 

We  spent  the  next  three  days  in  completing  our  journey 
through  the  Hova  stations ;  and  found  the  country  very 
easy  to  traverse.  The  moment  we  left  Kinajy,  the  ground 
began  to  fall.  We  crossed  a  fine  valley  to  the  north  ;  and 
at  an  opening  between  two  conical  hills,  came  upon  a  little 
winding  river,  the  Manankazo,  "  that  which  has  wood,"  a 
truly  descriptive  name,  when  in  the  midst  of  this  dry,  clay 
country,  the  only  bushes  and  trees  were  to  be  found  in  the 
ravine  of  the  stream.  The  river  rises  in  the  hills  near 
Vohilena,  to  the  north  of  the  Anativolo.    On  the  bank 


OUR  JOURNEY  TO  MO  JANG  A.  289 


and  along  the  roots  of  the  hills  the  grass  was  truly  beauti- 
ful :  much  of  it  was  in  vast  tufts,  very  tall,  tinted  with 
pink  and  purple  ;  another  kind  was  a  strong,  reedy  grass  : 
and  a  third  was  crowned  with  a  handsome  white  feather, 
soft  as  down.  Passing  to  the  eastward  over  the  shoulder 
of  these  rounded  hills,  we  came  into  a  second  valley,  and 
found  ourselves  between  high  parallel  gneiss  ranges,  with 
a  rough  and  rocky  edge.  A  stream  of  clear  water  came 
out  of  the  eastern  hills,  called  the  Firingalava :  and  we 
crossed  many  streamlets  rushing  down  to  join  it. 

We  took  our  lunch  at  Ambohinorina,  the  second  of  these 
garrison  towns,  with  fifty  houses  and  a  clay  chapel :  duly 
enclosed  by  a  ditch,  wall,  and  gates.  Four  miles  north 
was  a  deep  basin,  which  ended  in  a  ravine  down  which  the 
river  ran.  Here  the  grass  was  on  fire,  and  we  had  to  run 
the  gauntlet :  then  we  climbed  the  ridge  to  a  higher  level, 
and  passed  between  two  noble  mountains,  Sahafasika,  on 
the  west,  four  miles  in  length;  and  Ambohibe  on  the  right. 
Both  these  mountains  we  had  duly  noted  from  Angavo  : 
and  the  double  head  of  the  latter,  made  it  a  conspicuous 
object  for  many  miles.  We  spent  the  night  at  Ampotaka 
(2490),  a  dirty  town  of  thirty  houses,  with  an  immense 
cattle  fold  and  fine  herds  that  filled  it.  Beyond  Ampotaka, 
we  mounted  high  ridges,  which  gave  us  excellent  observing 
stations,  but  over  which  the  east  wind  was  sweeping  with 
violence.  We  looked  down  at  one  point  upon  deep 
valleys,  and  passed  along  the  upper  edge  of  a  fine  water- 
fall. The  hills  were  very  fine  in  all  directions  and  the 
scenery  was  truly  picturesque.  We  now  descended  into 
the  valley  of  the  Makamokamita,  "that  which  makes 

musquitoes  to  cross,"  which  passes  clean  through  the 

T 


290  OUR  JOURNEY  TO  MOJANGA. 


western  ridge.  The  river  comes  from  the  moor  on  the 
south-east ;  it  winds  much  through  the  clay,,  into  which  it 
has  cut  deep,  and  in  the  middle  of  the  glen  into  which  we 
descended  it  falls,  in  a  fine  cascade  over  a  reef  of  hard 
rocks.  All  through  the  glen  the  scenery  was  bold  and 
pleasing.  We  came  out  into  an  open  and  level  basin,  in 
the  centre  of  which  was  the  town  of  Mangasoavina 
(2160). 

This  was  a  pleasant  town  of  eighty  houses,  enclosing  a 
rova  and  stockade:  with  abundance  of  cattle,  pigs  and 
fowls.  The  people  were  exceedingly  intelligent  and  we 
found  them  hospitable  and  kind.  The  basin  in  which  it 
stands  is  eight  miles  across ;  the  land  is  grassy  and  level : 
several  villages  were  in  sight :  and  we  judged  that  alto- 
gether there  were  four  hundred  houses  in  the  town  and 
neighbourhood.  A  fine  gneiss  hill  Andriba,  formed  its 
northern  boundary  :  and  when  we  had  rounded  it,  we  found 
beyond  a  second  basin,  containing  fine  clumps  of  the  rofia 
palm,  and  a  few  travellers'  trees.  It  was  a  charming  spot, 
with  small  villages  and  rice  cultivation.  The  basin  was 
crossed  by  the  river  Kamolandi,  which  like  the  Mahamo- 
kamita,  drains  the  eastern  moors  and  passes  to  the  west 
into  the  Ikopa.  Half  a  mile  beyond  the  river  was  the 
town  of  Malatsy  (2140),  the  fifth  and  last  of  these  garrison 
towns.  The  town  has  sixty  houses ;  on  the  slopes  there 
may  be  some  ninety  more;  and  about  a  hundred  others 
scattered  about  the  valley.  Near  the  centre  of  the  valley 
is  a  Sakalava  village,  the  people  of  which  were  greatly  in- 
terested in  my  photographing,  when  I  endeavoured  to  take 
successively  pictures  of  the  Andriba  Hill  and  of  the  Eofia 
palms.    Here  once  more  the  grass  was  on  fire  and  the 


OUR  JOURNEY  TO  MOJANGA. 


291 


roaring  flames  passed  within  a  short  distance  of  our  posi- 
tion. We  secured  valuable  additions  to  our  series  of 
observations  and  carried  our  stations  onward  into  the  dis- 
tricts we  have  yet  to  traverse. 

The  religious  and  social  condition  of  these  five  towns 
was  a  matter  of  serious  concern  to  us  all.  The  popula- 
tions are  not  numerous  :  they  are  exiled :  they  are  isolated. 
But  they  are  important  in  themselves ;  and  they  have  an 
important  relation  to  the  communities  still  beyond  them. 
They  are  easy  of  access.  They  lie  along  the  valleys  at 
intervals  of  from  six  to  ten  miles,  and  small  clumps  of 
houses  are  found  in  their  neighbourhood.  East  and  west 
the  country  seemed  entirely  empty.  No  English  missionary 
had  visited  them,  till  we  went  along  the  line.  Mr.  Mat- 
thews, their  nearest  neighbour,  had  been  too  occupied  with 
the  pressing  work  of  his  own  district  to  see  them  person- 
ally :  but  he  had  several  times  sent  a  colporteur  among 
them  with  books  and  Scriptures.  The  only  other  help 
they  have  received  is  from  Hova  officers  and  soldiers  and 
their  families,  who  have  passed  by  them  on  their  journeys 
northward  or  when  they  have  come  to  settle  on  public 
duty  in  their  midst.  Naturally  therefore  we  found  their 
condition  backward  and  needing  much  attention  from 
Christian  people. 

Kinajy  contains  some  active  Christians,  and  the  little 
chapel  is  not  only  well  kept,  but  is  usually  well  filled. 
There  are  sixteen  church  members  in  the  community : 
many  could  read :  four  could  write ;  and  there  was  an 
earnest  and  persevering  demand  for  books,  which  we  were 
glad  to  supply.  Ambohinorina  has  a  little  clay  chapel :  no 
school :  scarcely  one  person  able  to  spell  out  a  few  words. 


292  OUR  JOURNEY  TO  MOJANGA. 


Yet  they  were  most  hearty  in  their  hospitality  and  they 
seemed  eager  to  learn.  Ampotoka  has  a  little  chapel  of 
reeds  and  mud.  Two  could  read.  A  few  knew  the 
alphabet.  There  was  not  a  Bible  in  the  village;  there 
was  however  one  Testament.  Altogether  the  people  were 
very  dark. 

Mangasoavina  was  much  more  advanced.  There  were 
twenty  who  could  read :  many  more  knew  their  letters. 
Sixteen  were  baptized  and  form  the  church.  They  have 
one  service  on  the  Sabbath  and  one  hundred  and  fifty 
people  attend.    They  have  two  pastors. 

The  people  were  anxious  to  have  a  service  during  the 
evening  of  our  stay ;  and  Mr.  Jukes  gladly  assented  to 
their  request.  My  colleague,  Mr.  Pillans,  has  given  an 
interesting  account  of  this  little  conference  at  which  he 
was  present.  In  going  into  the  governor's  house  where 
the  people  had  assembled,  he  passed  through  the  kitchen, 
where  a  fire  was  burning  on  the  floor  filling  the  house  with 
smoke.  In  an  inner  room  were  thirty  or  forty  people 
seated  on  the  floor.  In  the  midst  stood  a  native  lamp, 
with  a  thick  wick ;  and  a  little  girl  fed  the  lamp  from  time 
to  time  by  dipping  a  stick  into  a  lump  of  grease  and 
stripping  it  into  the  lamp  with  her  fingers.  The  light  was 
sufficient  to  make  darkness  visible:  but  scarcely  enough 
to  enable  Mr.  Jukes,  though  down  on  his  knees,  to  read 
the  texts  to  which  his  enquiring  companions  continually 
referred  him.  "  We  were  anxious  to  learn  what  kind  of 
teaching  these  people  received,  and  enquired  what  the 
pastors  taught.  '  To  do  no  evil '  (they  said)  1  and  to  love 
one  another/  'But  what  do  they  teach  about  Christ?' 
c  To  observe  his  laws.'    '  What  do  they  teach  about  Christ 


OUR  JOURNEY  TO  MO  JANG  A.  293 


himself?'  'That  he  was  a  substitute  for  the  guilty.' 
1  What  about  the  Holy  Spirit  ?'  One  said  it  was  a  difficult 
subject. — They  had  many  questions  to  ask  about  the  Bible 
and  particular  texts :  some  of  which  reminded  us  of  ques- 
tions which  have  occupied  both  learned  and  unlearned  at 
home.  '  Who  was  Melchizedek  V  '  Who  wrote  the  Epistle 
to  the  Hebrews  ? '  '  Why  did  Christ  call  himself  the  Son 
of  man?'  'What  is  the  meaning  of  the  parable  of  the 
tares  ? '  and  so  on.  The  wife  of  one  of  the  pastors,  a 
daughter  of  the  governor,  took  a  leading  part  in  this  con- 
versation. She  seemed  a  most  intelligent  woman  and  an 
eager  inquirer.  All  the  people  expressed  themselves  as 
most  grateful  for  our  visit  and  urged  their  need  of  help 
from  the  Imerina  Mission.  Mr.  Jukes  suggested  that  they 
should  unite  with  their  neighbours  in  the  villages  around 
and  get  a  teacher  from  Imerina.  They  could  easily  support 
him  and  he  would  have  a  good  sphere  of  labour."  They 
should  also  enjoy  occasional  visits  from  the  missionaries 
in  Yonizongo.  The  distance  is  not  great :  the  influence 
and  sympathy  of  an  Englishman  go  very  far  with  our 
native  converts  and  encourage  them  much :  and  the  as- 
surance that  they  were  known  and  watched  and  cared  for 
by  their  Imerina  friends  would  prove  an  invaluable  stimulus 
to  their  improvement. 

Beyond  Malatsy  came  the  second  distinct  section  of  our 
journey,  a  portion  of  the  JSToman's  Land  of  Madagascar.  It 
took  us  two  days  to  cross  it.  It  is  usually  termed  "  the 
desert;"  but  that  name  is  scarcely  applicable  to  a  land 
full  of  valleys,  small  streams  of  clear,  fresh  water,  and 
chains  of  hills  covered  in  part  with  wood.  It  is  scarcely 
applicable  to  a  region  in  the  midst  of  which  we  found  the 


294  OUR  JOURNEY  TO  MOJANGA. 


river  Ikopa,  a  fine  broad  stream,  falling  over  huge  rocks  in 
noble  cataracts  and  watering  a  thousand  fair  islands,  that 
stud  its  bosom  with  bright  and  living  green.  The  region 
is  doubtless  unpeopled :  we  saw  not  a  hut  on  our  line  of 
march,  not  a  blade  of  rice,  not  a  yard  of  cultivation.  It 
was  interesting  to  us  to  meet  this  district  once  more.  We 
have  come  upon  it  in  the  South ;  in  the  East ;  away  in  the 
West ;  and  now  in  two  places  in  the  North.  It  is  easily 
accounted  for  as  the  border  land  between  the  Coast  tribes 
and  the  Hovas  of  Imerina  and  Betsileo,  between  whom  till 
recent  times  there  was  perpetual  feud ;  and  therefore  not 
to  be  cultivated  with  any  hope  of  profit.  It  seems  to  form 
a  complete  ring  round  the  central  provinces :  and  it  leaves 
the  sea-coast  a  poor,  ill-peopled  district  indeed. 

Our  bearers  made  elaborate  preparations  for  crossing 
this  region  of  "  the  unknown."  They  spent  half  a  day  in 
pounding  and  husking  rice ;  in  eating  hearty  meals ;  and 
in  sharpening  their  numerous  spears.  With  a  view  to 
prevent  the  loss  of  stragglers,  who  might  be  sick  or  foot- 
sore, we  arranged  to  march  in  military  order :  and  while 
my  colleague  led  the  little  column,  Mr.  Jukes  and  I  agreed 
to  bring  up  the  rear.  The  announcement  that  we  would 
do  so,  gave  the  liveliest  satisfaction :  and  when  we  allowed 
Mr.  Jukes's  empty  rifle  to  be  strapped  outside  his  baggage 
as  a  warning  to  evil-minded  persons,  there  stole  over  the 
countenances  of  our  friends  an  expression  of  serenity  and 
peace  truly  refreshing  to  behold.  The  Malagasy  as  a  rule 
have  immense  faith  in  an  empty  gun,  even  though  they 
have  no  powder  near. 

We  left  Malatsy  early  on  Thursday,  July  30th.  The 
need  of  our  precautions  against  straggling  was  soon  seen. 


OUR  JOURNEY  TO  MOJANGA.  29 


Within  the  first  quarter  of  an  hour  of  our  march,  seven 
men  lagged  behind  for  no  solid  reason  whatever.  But  we 
whipped  them  up  and  kept  them  to  their  duty :  and  we 
reached  the  resting-place  within  a  quarter  of  an  hour  of 
my  colleague's  arrival.  On  two  subsequent  occasions  we 
picked  up  a  poor  fellow  suffering  from  fever,  and  thoroughly 
unable  to  manage  his  load.  His  companions  readily  shared 
it  or  carried  it  in  turn ;  and  we  were  able  to  bring  the 
invalids  safely  in.  Had  we  left  them,  it  is  certain  that 
they  would  have  travelled  for  miles  in  perfect  loneliness 
and  at  the  best  would  have  arrived  long  after  ourselves. 
It  is  these  unhappy  stragglers  who  alone  are  exposed  to 
real  danger. 

We  had  a  most  pleasant  march  through  the  solitudes  of 
this  "  lone  land."  Our  course  lay  up  long  valleys,  over 
first  one  pass  and  then  another ;  or  over  hard  clay  ridges, 
sprinkled  with  quartz  gravel,  and  then  along  some  clear 
stream,  bordered  with  fresh,  green  wood.  The  valleys 
were  simple  and  open  and  very  green.  The  rofia  palm 
grew  more  abundant :  there  were  varieties  of  the  acacia 
with  their  pinnate  leaves ;  with  a  few  specimens  of  the 
bamboo  palm ;  and  of  the  dabo,  a  coarse  fig  tree.  The 
bamboo  cane  was  common,  with  its  tall  stalk,  from  fifteen 
to  twenty  feet  high,  and  its  soft,  white  feather  at  the 
crown ;  there  was  the  wild  citron  also.  Everywhere  the 
grass  was  strong  and  full  of  beauty.  All  the  streams  too 
had  cut  their  way  down  to  the  rock.  The  eye  could  see 
that  the  ground  was  falling  rapidly :  we  were  continually 
descending  the  slopes  of  hills :  the  gullies  in  the  red  clay 
were  deep  and  numerous :  nowhere  was  the  ground  level, 
till  we  reached  the  rock. 


296  OUR  JOURNEY  TO  MOJANGA. 


Our  first  halt  was  by  a  pretty  stream,  under  the  Pass  of 
Marokolohy.  The  men  spread  themselves  out  along  the 
water  and  soon  had  their  little  fires  blazing  and  the  rice 
boiling  in  their  iron  pots  and  tin  saucepans.  We  ourselves 
rested  under  a  tree  :  and  a  small  supply  of  English  stores 
on  this  and  similar  journeys,  tins  of  soup  and  meat  and 
vegetables,  good  cocoa  and  first-rate  tea,  rendered  us  inde- 
pendent of  surrounding  circumstances  and  satisfied  our 
English  tastes.  The  ridge  behind  us  was  bold  and  high. 
When  we  climbed  to  the  summit,  we  travelled  some  dis- 
tance along  the  crest  and  found  an  excellent  station  for 
observations.  Crossing  a  second  ridge  called  Kalomainty, 
we  descended  into  a  green  valley  with  a  stream  of  water. 
At  the  north  end  of  the  valley  the  dried  grass  was  blazing 
furiously,  under  the  strong  wind  and  it  was  not  easy  to 
avoid  the  flames.  More  than  once  our  men  had  to  run  for 
it,  and  but  for  the  hardness  of  their  feet  would  have  suf- 
fered from  the  hot  ashes  and  stones  on  which  they  trod. 
Crossing  a  third  ridge,  we  passed  down  a  rocky  valley  and 
entered  a  piece  of  country,  like  an  English  park,  well 
watered  by  the  Eiver  Andranobe.  All  day  the  loneliness  was 
most  complete.  Not  a  bird  started  from  the  brake,  not  an 
animal  appeared  in  the  wood.  The  silence  was  intense  and 
Nature  was  here  in  complete  wildness :  for  untold  ages  has 
she  had  her  will :  and  calm,  still  beauty  is  the  result.  We 
had  only  one  trouble,  a  plague  of  flies.  We  were  followed 
by  swarms  of  creatures  with  the  look  of  a  fly,  but  with 
the  power  of  biting  and  stinging  like  a  musquito.  They 
settled  everywhere,  on  the  hands,  the  neck,  the  face :  and 
unless  soon  driven  off,  inflicted  an  irritating  bite.  The 
men  suffered  from  them  as  much  as  ourselves.  Very 


OUR  JOURNEY  TO  MOJANGA. 


297 


strangely  they  disappeared  at  sunset  and  only  a  few  fol- 
lowed us  next  day.  It  was  just  at  sundown  that  we 
crossed  the  shoulder  of  a  hill  between  two  bends  of  the 
Andranobe,  and  encamped  on  its  western  arm  under  a  fine 
wooded  hill. 

We  pitched  our  tents  upon  a  terrace  which  overhangs 
the  stream :  the  men  lit  their  fires,  ten  in  number,  on  the 
sandy  bed,  where  they  resolved  to  sleep.  And  it  added  to 
the  charm  of  our  position,  that  as  the  moon  rose  full  behind 
us  the  whole  body  of  our  bearers  gathered  together  for 
evening  prayers :  sang  with  spirit  their  plaintive  Malagasy 
hymns,  said  a  hearty  Amen  to  the  words  of  the  91st  Psalm : 
and  cast  themselves  on  the  protection  of  that  Saviour,  to 
whom  (they  said  explicitly)  they  have  found  it  good  to 
pray.  Let  none  say  that  in  this  prosaic  age,  the  days  of 
romance  have  passed  away.  To  me  the  simple  realities  of 
life  often  bring  scenes  as  romantic  as  any  which  fiction  can 
pourtray. 

The  following  morning  while  the  baggage  was  being 
packed,  we  breakfasted  by  the  light  of  a  brilliant  moon, 
and  recommenced  our  march.  The  men  were  in  good 
spirits,  though  stiff  after  their  al-fresco  sleep.  We  soon 
traversed  a  natural  park,  full  of  beauty,  spread  out  for 
miles,  and  waiting  for  a  master.  We  again  followed  for  a 
space  the  rocky  valley  of  the  Andranobe  :  and  just  at  sun- 
rise came  upon  the  most  charming  scene  which  we  had 
beheld  in  all  our  journey.  We  had  reached  the  bottom  of 
the  hill  country  :  and  the  plain  of  Menavava  lay  stretched 
before  us  away  to  the  distant  horizon.  The  Eiver  Ikopa 
was  turning  toward  us  from  round  a  rocky  hill  four 
hundred  yards  broad,  its  bed  for  miles  very  rocky,  a 


298  OUR  JOURNEY  TO  MOJANGA. 


hundred  green  islands  rising  from  its  bosom,  clothed  with 
wood,  while  the  rushing  water  fell  in  cataracts  of  foam 
over  a  reef  of  rocks  which  completely  covered  the  stream. 
The  cataracts  reminded  me  of  those  of  the  Eiver  Maveli- 
gunga  in  the  middle  of  the  island  of  Ceylon.  The  islands, 
rocks  and  rapids  were  our  companions  for  several  miles,  to 
Nosifito,  where  "  seven  islands  "  form  a  striking  group  in 
the  river. 

We  now  turned  a  little  inland  ;  crossed  a  small  stream, 
the  Andranobe-vava,  and  came  upon  a  region  of  wild 
disorder.  The  gneiss  strata  were  tilted  perpendicular. 
Hills  of  quartz,  gneiss,  and  clay  were  thrown  up,  made  of 
broken  fragments  of  primitive  rock.  The  boulders  were 
countless :  the  country  was  covered  with  them,  and  many 
were  of  enormous  size.  They  were  rounded,  ground, 
water- worn  :  multitudes  were  half-buried  in  the  clay. 
The  reason  was  simple.  We  were  travelling  over  the 
surface  of  the  drift  and  debris  of  the  higher  districts. 
The  present  Ikopa  indicates  the  line  of  valley  down  which 
for  many  ages  the  drainage  of  Imerina  has  poured ;  and  we 
had  reached  the  point  at  the  bottom  of  the  hills  at  which 
the  material  brought  down  by  the  waters  has  been  de- 
posited upon  the  plains.  It  was  not  the  fact  of  that 
deposit  which  surprised  us.  It  was  the  extent  to  which 
it  had  been  carried.  We  saw  that  mighty  forces  had  been 
at  work ;  we  saw  the  results  of  enormous  floods,  of  the 
rending  of  barriers  and  outpouring  of  lakes,  everywhere 
stamped  upon  this  wide-spread  scene  of  ruin.  We  were 
nearly  four  hours  traversing  it,  in  a  hot  sun  :  not  a  stream 
crossed  our  path,  and  our  men  suffered  much  from  thirst. 

At  last  we  reached  a  beautiful  glen,  on  the  north  edge 


OUR  JOURNEY  TO  MOJANGA. 


299 


of  the  drift,  down  which  was  flowing  a  stream  of  the  purest 
water.  The  men  were  wild  with  delight;  they  just  flung 
down  their  burdens ;  rushed  pell-mell  into  the  stream ; 
and  drank  and  bathed  and  revelled  in  the  water.  The 
fires  were  soon  blazing  and  the  cooking-pots  well  occupied. 
We  did  not  need  to  hurry  them,  as  we  were  near  our 
destination  :  and  a  short  run  of  five  miles  brought  us  to 
the  town  of  Mevatanana,  which  we  reached  safe  and 
well. 

With  Mevatanana,  we  were  in  the  Sakalava  country, 
and  continued  through  it  to  the  sea.  This  was  the  third 
principal  section  of  our  journey.  We  found  it  well- 
defined  ;  the  granite  hills  and  their  long  spurs  forming  an 
inner  boundary  to  its  broad  and  fertile  plains.  It  was 
everywhere  beautifully  green.  Warm  in  climate,  it  gave 
us  back  the  fan-palm,  the  tamarind,  the  mangoe  and  the 
plantain  as  strong,  beautiful  and  fruitful  trees.  The  grass 
was  rich  for  the  many  herds  of  cattle  :  the  enclosed  basins 
and  undulating  plains  seemed  capable  of  producing  roots, 
vegetables,  rice  and  fruit.  But  the  population  is  thin  and 
scattered  :  the  Sakalava  villages  consist  of  ten,  fifteen, 
twenty  houses ;  and  they  are  few  and  far  between.  We 
found  that  there  are  twelve  churches  in  the  district ;  the 
six  most  important  of  these  are  in  six  towns,  garrisoned  by 
Hovas,  all  of  which  we  visited  except  one.  Only  in  one 
of  these  churches  are  there  Sakalavas.  That  people  have 
as  yet  scarcely  been  touched  by  the  gospel :  it  is  to  the 
Hovas  and  their  surroundings  it  is  almost  entirely  confined. 
Everywhere  we  were  heartily  welcomed.  The  people  had 
heard  of  our  coming  and  had  looked  for  us  long.  Presents 
were  showered  upon  us,  including  oxen,  turkeys,  geese, 


300 


OUR  JOURNEY  TO  MO  JANG  A. 


fowls,  eggs  and  milk  :  our  congregations  were  very  large  : 
our  men  were  happy. 

Mevatanana  justifies  its  name  which  means  "  an  excel- 
lent site  for  a  city."  It  stands  on  a  spur  of  that  inner 
ridge  of  clay  through  which  the  Ikopa  has  cut  its  way : 
and  has  deep  ravines  on  three  sides.  The  town  is  240  feet 
above  the  sea  level :  the  river  is  150  feet.    The  town  con- 


GATEWAY  OF  POLES — MEVATANANA. 

tains  168  houses,  of  which  80  are  within  the  stockade. 
The  governor's  house  is  in  a  broad  open  square :  close  to 
which  are  the  principal  shops  for  cloth,  meat,  vegetables 
and  fruit.  The  town  occupies  an  admirable  position  in 
relation  to  the  country  generally.  It  stands  on  the  edge 
of  the  hill  districts  and  of  the  fertile  plains :  it  is  two 
miles  from  the  east  bank  of  the  river :  it  is  the  point  up  to 


OUR  JOURNEY  TO  MO  JANG  A. 


301 


which  the  river  is  navigable  by  canoes.  It  is  a  good 
stopping  station  for  all  travellers  from  the  coast ;  and  the 
first  resting-place  to  others  journeying  from  the  CapitaL 
It  is  also  the  edge  of  the  population.  To  the  east  and 
south  the  country  is  empty.  Across  the  river  to  the  west 
the  district  contains  a  few  Sakalava  villages  of  three,  five, 
seven  houses  at  long  intervals.  On  the  north  at  moderate 
intervals  are  the  six  garrison  towns  in  line,  which  end  with 
the  port  and  harbour  of  Mojanga.  A  considerable  number 
of  the  inhabitants  of  the  town  are  the  Hova  garrison  from 
Imerina. 

The  people  gave  us  a  hearty  welcome.  We  occupied  the 
chapel,  outside  the  stockade,  on  the  edge  of  the  ravine : 
and  weary  with  our  wilderness  journey  were  glad  to  secure 
a  long  and  refreshing  sleep.  Surveying,  photographing, 
looking  round,  talking  with  the  shopkeepers,  talking  with 
the  Governor  of  the  town  and  the  pastor  of  the  church, 
writing  journals,  making  sketch-maps,  and  idling  generally, 
made  up  a  quiet,  pleasant  Saturday :  though  our  wild 
friend,  the  south-east  wind,  did  not  forget  us,  bat  blew 
hard  all  day,  raised  great  clouds  of  dust,  drove  away  plenty 
of  malaria,  and  made  himself  generally  disagreeable. 

In  the  evening  we  dined  with  the  Governor.  He  is  an 
old  gentleman,  who  ought  long  since  to  have  been  put  on 
pension.  But  he  and  his  nice,  old  wife,  were  hospitable 
and  kind.  The  feast  was  simple  and  truly  primitive. 
Roast  fowls,  boiled  rice,  abundance  of  gravy  and  bowls  of 
milk  are  no  bad  provision  for  hungry  men.  The  Governor 
and  his  lady  sat  at  table  with  us,  as  did  three  of  his 
officers.  We  brought  our  knives  and  spoons  with  us  :  but 
the  three  officers  ate  out  of  a  common  plate  with  a  horn 


302 


OUR  JOURNEY  TO  MOJANGA. 


spoon  each.  Three  other  officers  sat  on  the  ground  and 
against  the  wall :  while  the  cook,  who  superintended  the 
primitive  light,  and  evidently  had  great  faith  in  the  useful- 
ness of  his  fingers,  freely  joined  in  the  conversation  and 
gave  his  opinion  upon  various  matters  without  the  slightest 
hesitation.  Amongst  other  questions  discussed,  was  the 
important  topic  of  our  journey  onward.  Was  it  better  to 
go  by  water  or  by  land  :  if  the  latter,  was  the  journey  long 
or  difficult :  if  the  former,  could  we  get  canoes  here  ?  We 
had  tried  in  vain  to  get  clear  light  upon  these  points,  from 
the  captains  of  our  baggage,  during  the  day :  so  we  asked 
the  opinion  of  our  friends  to-night.  After  serious  discus- 
sion among  themselves,  the  Governor  and  his  officers 
delivered  the  following  judgment.  "If  you  take  boats, 
that  is  good.  If  you  go  by  land,  that  is  good ;  because 
you  prefer  it.  What  you  like,  we  like.  What  pleases 
you,  satisfies  us." 

We  spent  a  pleasant  Sunday  at  Mevatanana.  The  little 
chapel  was  well  filled :  our  own  bearers  making  a  consider- 
able addition  to  the  usual  congregation.  Some  twenty  of 
them  presented  to  the  native  pastor  their  tickets  of  mem- 
bership in  churches  in  the  Capital  and  joined  with  the 
local  members  and  ourselves  at  the  communion  of  the 
Lord's  Supper.  Mr.  Jukes,  who  speaks  Malagasy  well, 
preached  an  excellent  sermon,  from  the  text,  "  God  so 
loved  the  world,  that  he  gave  his  only  begotten  Son  "  &c, 
which  was  listened  to  with  deep  attention.  We  had  a 
second  service  in  the  afternoon,  with  sermons  from  our 
two  chaplains.  But  we  were  not  impressed  with  the 
spiritual  life  of  the  people.  They  seemed  very  ignorant, 
very  dead.    There  was  no  leader  among  them ;  no  man  of 


OUR  JOURNEY  TO  MOJANGA. 


303 


real,  spiritual  force,  who  by  his  example  and  his  teachings 
could  stimulate  his  brethren.  The  native  pastor  could 
scarcely  read  and  seemed  in  other  ways  an  ignorant  man. 
I  do  not  think  there  was  any  school  in  the  town.  We 
could  not  but  regret  that  things  were  so  backward. 

At  times  it  has  been  thought  and  said,  that  by  the 
route  of  the  Ikopa,  boats  and  steamers  could  reach  to 
within  sixty  miles  of  the  Capital.  The  student  of  the 
Map,  which  represents  our  route,  can  form  his  own  opinion 
on  this  subject.  Near  the  sea  at  certain  seasons  there  are 
shallows.  All  about  Mevatanana  and  above  the  influence 
of  the  tides,  the  shallows  are  more  numerous  and  more 
formidable.  Above  Mevatanana  the  river  is  full  of  rocks 
and  islands.  And  above  Nosifito  come  the  great  cataracts, 
from  which  upward  to  the  Farahantsana,  the  entire  bed  of 
the  Ikopa,  so  far  as  we  have  heard,  is  a  series  of  rocky 
rapids.  Now  Mevatanana  is  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles 
from  the  Capital :  and  as  we  shall  see  is  ninety  miles  from 
Mojanga.  From  Mevatanana  at  least  all  the  upward  trade 
must  go  by  land. 

We  now  hired  canoes  for  our  whole  party.  We  could 
only  find  three,  though  they  were  long  and  spacious  :  and 
I  felt  rather  nervous.  We  had  to  stow  in  them  all  our 
baggage  and  just  a  hundred  men.  One  canoe  was  about 
forty  feet  long  and  over  three  feet  broad.  It  carried  forty- 
three  men.  But  we  were  tight-packed :  and  it  required 
great  care  to  change  the  rowers  from  time  to  time,  while 
the  canoes  were  still  afloat.  Our  trip  down  the  stream 
was  delightful.  We  left  the  bank  at  ten  o'clock,  the  men 
in  high  spirits  at  having  nothing  to  carry.  The  river  was 
about  three  hundred  yards  broad ;  and  was  shallow  and 


304  OUR  JOURNEY  TO  MOJANGA. 


full  of  islands.  Three  miles  onward,  the  islands  ceased 
and  we  had  two  long  reaches  to  the  north  and  west.  The 
banks  were  fair  and  green  :  profusely  covered  with  the 
bamboo  cane,  with  its  long  lithe  stalk  and  its  white 
feathery  flower.  We  soon  began  to  see  crocodiles;  and 
were  astonished  at  their  numbers.  They  appeared  in 
groups ;  they  lay  on  the  banks  in  the  hot  sun,  lazy  and 
asleep  :  and  when  awoke  by  the  shouts  of  our  men,  quietly 
went  and  hid  themselves  beneath  the  water.  There  was 
one  enormous  creature,  full  twenty  feet  long,  with  a  huge 
body  and  vast  jaws.  These  reptiles  were  visible  all  the 
way  down.  After  resting  for  tiffin  at  the  village  of  Ani- 
binany  under  a  noble  tamarind  tree,  we  pitched  our  camp 
upon  a  broad  bank  of  sand.  There  was  abundance  of  drift 
wood  lying  about,  and  the  men  lit  large  fires  and  main- 
tained them  all  night  to  keep  the  crocodiles  away. 

The  spot  which  we  had  reached  was  to  us  full  of  interest. 
Opposite  to  the  camp  was  the  Betsiboka  river  coming  up 
from  the  south-east,  and  here  the  two  rivers  joined  to- 
gether. The  Ikopa  is  a  quarter  of  a  mile  broad:  the 
Betsiboka  is  much  broader  and  in  the  rainy  season  comes 
down  in  great  flood,  so  as  to  throw  the  Ikopa  waters  far 
into  the  western  bank  and  produce  the  broad  sand  on 
which  we  stood.  High  up  in  the  moors  of  Imerina  and 
among  the  roots  of  Angavokely,  we  had  seen  the  fountains 
of  numerous  streams  from  which  these  rivers  take  their 
rise.  At  Ambatomena  and  Anjozorobe  we  had  seen  the 
Mananara,  the  Zabo,  the  Mananta :  near  Mantasoa  we  had 
seen  the  beginnings  of  the  Ikopa  and  the  Varahina :  at 
Andramasina  and  under  Ankarat,  the  Sisaony,  the  An- 
dromba,  the  Katsaoka  and  many  more :  all  the  waters  of 


OUR  JOURNEY  TO  MOJANGA. 


305 


the  Anativolo,  of  Lohavohitra  and  North  Vonizongo  find 
their  way  hither;  and  now  the  united  streams,  keeping 
the  name  of  the  larger,  the  Betsiboka,  will  bear  us  to  the 
sea. 

Four  miles  up  the  stream  of  the  Betsiboka  and  on  its 
eastern  bank  is  the  flourishing  town  of  Amparihibe  "  the 
town  of  the  big  lakes."  We  could  see  it  plainly  from  our 
camp,  standing  out  prominently  on  its  clay  hill.  Mr. 
Jukes  had  paid  it  a  visit  by  land  and  told  us  about  its 
people.  The  town  is  well  built :  its  people  are  unusually 
intelligent  and  aimable.  On  Sunday  afternoon  when  he 
arrived,  they  gave  him  a  most  hearty  reception.  This 
morning  at  the  monthly  missionary  meeting,  five  hundred 
people  were  present.  He  gave  them  our  salutations  and 
preached  to  them ;  and  then  for  two  hours,  answered  their 
questions  about  the  Word  of  God.  He  found  them  most 
anxious  to  learn,  most  anxious  to  do  right.  The  service 
concluded,  they  all  walked  down  to  the  river  with  him  and 
said  good-bye.  They  loaded  him  with  presents,  and  sent 
us  most  kind  messages.  They  expressed  the  deepest  regret 
that  they  had  not  met  us  :  and  they  begged  Mr.  Jukes  on 
his  return  to  spend  a  Sunday  with  them. 

We  were  away  early  on  Tuesday,  and  found  the  river 

broader,  but  winding  and  somewhat  more  shallow.  The 

banks  were  beautiful  with  their  light  green :  and  here  and 

there  the  trees  were  large.    But  nothing  struck  us  like  the 

crocodiles.    They  were  more  numerous  than  ever.  We 

seemed  never  to  lose  sight  of  them :  here  there  was  a  group 

of  five,  there  of  eight,  six  and  ten.    Sometimes  they  rose 

to  twenty  :  and  on  one  occasion  on  a  broad  spit  of  sand, 

we  found  no  less  than  forty  sleeping  in  the  sun.  When 

u 


306  OUR  JOURNEY  TO  MO  JANG  A. 


we  took  to  counting  this  was  the  result :  in  the  first  hour 
we  counted  a  hundred  and  five ;  in  the  next  half  hour,  we 
saw  one  hundred  and  two.  During  the  four  days  of  our 
river  trip,  we  must  have  seen  not  less  than  sixteen  hundred 
crocodiles  :  indeed  my  opinion  is  that  the  number  rose  to 
two  thousand.  Some  were  babies,  from  twelve  to  eighteen 
inches  long  :  others  were  strong  and  active ;  a  few  were 
old,  of  enormous  size  and  very  sluggish.  The  skins  of  the 
last  were  course  and  rough ;  and  the  studs  and  knobs  along 
the  back  stood  out  prominently.  Their  colour  was  a  brown 
yellow.  I  could  not  detect  among  them  the  gaydl  or  fish- 
alligator,  so  common  in  the  Ganges ;  they  all  seemed  to 
belong  to  the  magars  or  true  crocodiles.  The  natives  of 
the  district  told  us  that  the  river  swarms  with  fish,  which 
the  crocodiles  eat;  they  lie  in  wait  to  seize  the  cattle, 
when  they  come  down  to  drink ;  and  now  and  then  some 
poor  Sakalave,  crossing  the  river,  half  tipsy,  in  a  frail 
canoe,  falls  into  the  water  and  is  never  seen  again.  A 
crocodile  moves  slowly  on  land,  with  his  short  legs  and 
heavy  tail :  but  once  in  the  water,  he  is  master,  and  his 
tail  is  an  engine  of  great  power. 

Our  course  to-day  was  about  north-west :  and  our  speed 
down  the  stream  about  four  miles  an  hour.  The  flow  of 
the  water  was  strong  and  in  our  favour.  We  were  leaving 
behind  us  and  on  the  south-east,  a  fine,  lofty  ridge,  with  a 
very  conspicuous  gap.  The  hill  on  the  south  of  the  gap  is 
Namakia ;  and  close  to  it  is  Tongodrahods.  M.  Grandidier, 
travelling  from  the  coast  by  land,  passed  close  to  these 
points,  and  has  inserted  them  in  his  map.  Toward  the 
north-west  we  were  gradually  approaching  another  ridge, 


OUR  JOURXEY  TO  MOJANGA. 


307 


the  bearings  of  which,  as  of  the  former,  we  had  taken  at 
Mevatanana. 

Early  in  the  afternoon  we  passed  a  little  Sakalava  vil- 
lage, named  Karambily';  and  at  3.25,  reached  the  mouth  of 
a  small  stream,  the  Kamona,  near  to  which  we  knew  was 
the  important  town  of  Traboxj?.  We  found  it  five  miles 
inland,  in  an  open  basin  upon  a  low  hill.  The  hill  was 
prettily  covered  by  mango  trees,  in  full  flower,  by  fine 
tamarinds,  and  numerous  palmettoes,  the  fruit  of  which  is 
unhappily  used  to  distil  rum.  The  Sakalava  town  is  on 
the  west  side  of  the  Hova  town.  It  contains  a  very  large 
house,  the  residence  of  the  princess  and  head  of  the  tribe  : 
and  numerous  simple  dwellings  of  the  Sakalava  people. 
To  us  they  had  a  singular  appearance  :  they  looked  like 
huge  bird-cages,  being  formed  of  split  bamboo  and  reeds, 
and  quite  open  to  the  winds.  The  houses  of  the  Hova 
town  are  unusually  large  and  built  in  rows  with  wide 
streets  between :  they  are  formed  of  wood,  reeds  and 
palmetto  leaves.  The  people  were  on  the  look-out  for  us, 
met  us  in  a  crowd  at  the  city-gate ;  and  manifested  un- 
mistakeable  pleasure  at  our  arrival. 

From  the  intelligent  and  able  governor  of  Trabonjy, 
Eainisoamanana,  as  well  as  from  his  intelligent  wife  and 
daughters,  we  received  a  peculiarly  kind  welcome.  They 
could  not  make  enough  of  us  :  and  we  had  just  to  tear  our- 
selves away,  if  we  would  reach  our  port  in  good  time  for 
the  steamer  that  was  to  bear  us  home.  With  the  governor 
we  had  abundance  of  serious  talk  on  many  things.  He 
saw  the  importance  of  our  visit ;  set  before  us  the  con- 
dition of  the  churches  of  the  district ;  and  sent  an  earnest 


308-  OUR  JOURNEY  TO  MOJANGA. 


request  to  the  Directors  that  an  English  Missionary  might 
be  appointed  to  instruct  and  guide  them.  Both  he  and 
his  people  sent  the  most  grateful  and  affectionate  saluta- 
tions to  the  Society  which  has  so  long  been  the  friend  of 
the  Malagasy  people. 

We  were  invited  to  visit  the  family.  We  found  that 
their  house,  built  in  Sakalava  shape,  was  spacious  and  the 
roof  was  high.  It  contained  but  one  room  the  portions  of 
which  were  parted  from  one  another  by  screens  of  cloth. 
On  one  side  stood  a  table,  covered  with  bright  crockery, 
water  decanters  and  glasses.  Above  it  were  hungj  two 
engravings  of  Queen  Victoria  and  the  late  Emperor 
Napoleon.  A  large  wardrobe  contained,  among  other 
tilings,  numerous  bottles  of  medicine.  One  of  the  gover- 
nor's sons  has  been  a  medical  student  with  Dr.  Davidson 
and  is  exercising  his  gifts  among  his  people  here.  The 
governor  told  us  that  the  church  in  Trabonjy  contains  250 
members  :  that  fifty  of  these  are  Sakalavas  and  150  Saka- 
lavas  profess  to  be  Christians  and  worship  with  the  con- 
gregation. All  the  Sakalavas  of  this  district,  friendly  to  the 
Hova  Government,  burnt  their  idols,  when  those  of  Imerina 
were  consumed.  The  independent  Sakalavas  worship  their 
ancestors  and  keep  to  their  idols  still.  There  are  two 
hundred  houses  in  Trabonjy :  in  the  neighbourhood  there 
are  quite  two  hundred  more.  And  the  entire  basin  must 
contain  two  thousand  people. 

Embarking  once  more  in  our  canoes,  we  made  steady 
progress  down  the  river.  At  five  o'clock  we  came  to  a 
fine  bend  in  the  river,  under  a  wooded  ridge  ;  and  turning 
the  boats'  noses  in  shore  we  disturbed  a  "  happy  family  " 
of  twelve  crocodiles,  who  had  retired  to  rest  for  the  night ; 


OUR  JOURNEY  TO  MO  JANG  A. 


309 


and  took  possession  of  the  sand-bank  from  which  they 
were  dislodged.  Again  we  pitched  our  tents  upon  the 
upper  terrace,  made  large  fires,  and  slept  well. 

We  had  now  reached  the  ridge,  the  bearings  of  which  we 
had  taken  from  Mevatanana.  It  was  very  broad,  and  the 
river  wound  its  way  through,  having  high  banks  on  either 
side.  These  banks  were  covered  with  dark  thick  woods. 
The  air  was  warm  ;  the  vegetation  luxuriant.  Here  and 
there  we  passed  long  gardens  of  plantains,  the  plantations 
of  the  Sakalavas.  The  palms  were  full  grown  and  had 
broad  leafy  fronds.  We  saw  too  abundance  of  birds. 
Wild  ducks  rose  in  flocks  as  we  passed  on  :  the  flamingo, 
with  his  pale  purple  legs,  rose  over  our  heads :  the  heron 
was  disturbed,  while  fishing  in  the  stream  :  white  storks 
were  numerous :  there  were  a  few  wild  pigeons :  and  one 
little  humming-bird  kept  flitting  in  and  out  of  the  jungle, 
curious  yet  afraid. 

Early  to-day  we  met  the  tides,  some  fifty  miles  from  the 
sea.  The  marks  on  the  banks  did  not  indicate  a  high  rise 
of  the  water,  probably  from  the  fact  that  the  land  itself 
has  not  yet  reached  the  sea  level.  During  the  afternoon 
we  pulled  steadily  along  a  fine  reach  of  the  river  for 
several  miles  :  its  direction  was  nearly  north  :  and  some 
fine  hills  were  in  sight,  under  one  of  which,  with  a  double 
head,  was  the  town  of  Mahabo.  At  sunset  we  passed 
along  the  east  side  of  a  large  island;  wood  and  jungle 
were  rich ;  the  mud  banks  were  evidently  fertile  :  the 
mangrove  was  thick  with  its  matted  roots :  and  again  we 
saw  vast  quantities  of  the  Via,  the  great  Arum  lily,  which 
we  had  admired  so  much  on  the  east  coast  a  year  ago.  At 
the  north  end  of  this  reach  we  turned  eastward  into  a  nar- 


310  OUR  JOURNEY  TO  MO  JANG  A. 


row  stream  for  five  miles,  and  at  eight  o'clock,  were  landed 
in  the  mud  at  the  important  town  of  Marovoay. 

Marovoay  contains  five  thousand  people  and  consists  of 
two  towns,  the  Hova  settlement  and  stockade  on  the  hill, 
and  the  trading  town  on  the  river  bank.  The  latter  is  ex- 
tremely dirty :  it  is  full  of  hides  and  offal,  sweltering  in 
the  burning  sun ;  and  is  reputed  to  be  extremely  un- 
healthy. How  can  it  be  otherwise  ?  A  large  number  of 
Hindu  merchants  reside  in  the  town ;  who  responded 
heartily  to  salutations  in  Hindustani,  and  were  greatly 
surprised  and  interested  to  meet  an  old  Calcutta-walla  in 
this  out-of-the-way  corner  of  the  world.  We  observed 
with  regret  the  large  number  of  pure  Africans  in  the  town, 
many  of  them  quite  young.  The  Hova  houses  within  the 
stockade  are  large  and  numerous ;  the  chapel  is  a  spacious 
building,  and  near  the  chapel  and  the  gate  of  the  stockade 
are  two  noble  tamarind  trees. 

The  governor  is  a  most  intelligent  man  and  evidently  has 
the  interest  of  his  people  thoroughly  at  heart.  He  and  his 
wife  were  extremely  thoughtful  and  kind.  In  the  morning, 
before  we  went  round  the  town,  he  and  his  officers  and 
their  families,  came  in  force,  with  the  earnest  request  that 
we  would  stay  over  the  Sunday  at  Marovoay  and  help 
them.  They  pleaded  eloquently  also  that  they  might  have 
an  English  Missionary  for  themselves.  It  was  hard  to  re- 
fuse. Their  arguments  were  ingenious :  they  parried 
objections  most  skilfully  and  turned  them  against  our- 
selves. But  we  were  pledged  to  the  people  of  Mojanga. 
For  our  own  purpose,  as  well  as  to  keep  faith  with  the 
native  churches,  it  was  necessary  that  we  should  spend 
our  last  Sabbath  in  the  island  with  them.    And  so,  though 


OUR  JOURNEY  TO  MOJANGA. 


311 


with  deep  reluctance,  we  were  compelled  to  go  forward. 
Mr.  Jukes  promised,  that  if  it  were  practicable,  he  would 
spend  a  Sunday  with  them,  on  his  return.  Paying  off  our 
canoes,  we  secured  two  boats,  fit  to  cross  Bembatoka  Bay, 
in  which  strong  winds  and  high  seas  are  often  met  with. 
At  three  o'clock,  the  kind  governor  and  all  his  people 
escorted  us  in  procession  to  the  river  side,  with  drums 
beating,  fifes  playing,  banners  flying.  We  embarked  in 
our  little  vessels,  in  presence  of  the  entire  town :  and 
hoisting  sail,  and  giving  the  governor  three  cheers,  we 
started  on  our  way. 

Our  dhows  were  no  great  thiugs  for  a  sea  voyage.  They 
were  open  boats :  thirty  feet  long,  eight  feet  broad  and  six 
feet  deep.  We  stowed  our  larger  baggage  and  several  men 
in  one,  and  placed  our  personal  effects  and  ourselves,  with 
some  ten  men,  in  the  other.  There  was  a  quarter  deck  aft, 
seven  feet  by  eight.  Altogether  our  space  was  limited. 
The  sails  were  of  the  usual  Eastern  type,  the  latteen  sails 
of  Malta  and  the  Levant.  We  managed  to  boil  a  kettle 
and  get  some  tea,  while  going  out  of  our  little  river  and 
sailing  along  the  still  waters  of  the  Betsiboka ;  but  it  was 
an  amusing  affair.  Then  it  grew  dark  and  we  settled 
down  for  the  night.  Mrs.  Pillans  buried  herself  in  rugs  in 
the  hold,  on  the  top  of  the  baggage.  Mr.  Jukes,  my 
colleague  and  myself  occupied  the  quarter-deck  in  parallel 
lines,  which  like  those  of  longitude,  converged  on  the 
helmsman  at  our  feet.  A  mattress  beneath  us  softened  the 
boards  and  plenty  of  plaids  and  rugs  kept  us  warm  :  while, 
like  the  Egyptians  of  old  and  the  Samoans  of  modern  days, 
we  made  a  pillow  of  the  quarter-deck  rail,  which  had  but 
little  down  in  its  composition.    The  night  was  lovely : 


312 


OUR  JOURNEY  TO  MO  JANG  A. 


the  stars  shone  brightly  and  clear.  Ere  long  the  wind 
freshened,  though  it  kept  very  steady ;  and  the  boats  flew 
along  the  water.  Our  course  was  for  a  while  north-west : 
then  due  west,  which  we  kept  for  at  least  five  hours. 
After  a  time  we  slept  for  very  weariness  :  and  at  the  end 
of  ten  hours,  were  run  ashore  high  and  dry,  under  Mr. 
Laing's  windows  at  Mojanga,  under  a  brilliant  moon,  at 
three  o'clock  in  the  morning. 

Our  little  trip  was  a  truly  pleasant  one,  though  we  were 
exceedingly  fatigued  all  the  next  day.  We  could  not  but 
feel  grateful  and  happy  that  we  had  suffered  no  delay 
from  contrary  winds  or  a  rough  sea.  We  were  able  too, 
in  God's  good  providence,  to  fulfil  our  purpose  of  spending 
a  Sunday  with  our  Christian  friends  and  to  enjoy  that  inter- 
course with  them  which  would  make  us  acquainted  with 
their  condition  and  wants.  Our  arrival  gave  them  great 
satisfaction,  and  they  showed  every  kindness  both  to 
ourselves  and  our  men.  Pleasant  quarters  were  kindly 
offered  to  us  in  the  house  of  Messrs.  Porter,  Mail  and 
Laing;  by  Mr.  Angravink,  the  gentleman  in  charge  of 
their  agency.  Our  men  however  were  not  particularly 
gratified  with  the  airy  houses  of  the  Sakalavas. 

The  town  of  Mojanga  stands  on  a  long  tongue  of  land, 
on  the  north  and  east  side  of  a  vast  inlet,  called  Bembatoka 
Bay.  It  is  in  lat,  15°  42'  54"  S.  and  long.  44°  20'  E.  The 
bay  is  from  seventeen  to  twenty  miles  deep.  It  is  eight 
miles  across  from  north  to  south  :  and  the  entrance  from 
the  sea  is  three  and  a  half  miles  wide.  The  river  Betsi- 
boka  enters  the  bay  by  two  channels  on  its  south-east  and 
east  sides,  a  large  island  coming  in  between :  and  so  great 
is  the  force  with  which  it  has  scored  out  the  bay,  that  near 


OUR  JOURNEY  TO  MO  JANG  A. 


313 


the  western  entrance,  the  water  is  sixty-three  fathoms  deep. 
In  the  centre  of  the  bay  a  long  promontory  projects  from 
the  northern  shore.  On  this  were  once  situated  the  town 
of  Bembatoka  and  the  village  of  Ambatolampy.  Euins  of 
these  places  may  still  be  seen  :  otherwise  they  have  disap- 
peared, and  at  the  present  day  they  are  represented  by 
Mojanga,  which  lies  much  nearer  to  the  sea,  on  the  north 
shore  of  the  outer  bay.  The  entrance  of  this  outer  bay  is 
guarded  by  two  promontories ;  that  on  the  south  is  named 
Katsepa  :  that  on  the  north  is  Amorombato.  These  points 
of  land  are  parts  of  a  long  limestone  ridge,  which  here 
forms  the  sea-coast  of  the  island.  This  ridge  is  capped 
with  the  usual  red  clay:  on  the  Katsepa  point  it  showed 
itself  as  two  white  bands  beneath  the  clay,  each  about  ten 
feet  thick.  It  runs  half  a  day's  journey,  about  twelve 
miles,  inland  toward  the  north-east.  The  district  south  of 
the  Bay  is  termed  Ambongo :  that  to  the  north,  in  which 
Mojanga  is  situated,  is  called  Iboina.  The  latter  includes 
all  the  Hova  towns  as  far  as  Mevatanana,  and  the  district 
to  the  foot  of  the  Namakia  ridge.  Like  other  important 
places  of  trade  Mojanga  consists  in  reality  of  two  separate 
towns,  and  has  done  so  for  many  generations.  This  fact, 
so  simple  and  patent  to  a  visitor  on  the  spot,  has  intro- 
duced a  curious  confusion  into  descriptions  of  its  history  ; 
its  one  name  appearing  under  two  perfectly  different  forms 
of  spelling.  The  upper  town  is  on  the  ridge,  and  is  the 
stockaded  residence  of  the  Hova  garrison.  The  lower 
town  is  the  trading  town,  built  on  the  inner  side  of  the 
promontory  and  on  the  north  shore  of  the  outer  bay.  The 
two  places  are  joined  by  a  broad  road  running  straight  up 
the  slope  of  the  hill. 


314 


OUR  JOURNEY  TO  MOJANGA. 


The  upper  town  is  laid  out  with  great  regularity.  It 
includes  the  house  of  the  Governor,  now  old,  with  thick 
walls  and  in  need  of  considerable  repair.  It  has  numerous 
houses  of  large  size  for  the  garrison  :  and  in  it  are  the 
garrison  church  and  the  house  in  which  the  Sakalavas  have 
deposited  relics  of  some  former  king,  whom  they  greatly 
honour.  The  palisade  of  the  Hova  town  is  surrounded  by 
a  ditch  and  a  platform,  and  is  defended  by  a  number  of  old 
English  navy  guns,  12-  and  9-pounders.  Below  and 
around  the  Hova  town,  the  hill  is  covered  richly  with 
wood.  Indeed  there  is  quite  a  forest  of  tamarind,  mango, 
palm  and  cocoanut  trees,  many  of  which  are  noble  speci- 
mens of  their  class.  The  talipot-palms  also  were  strong 
and  massive.  And  there  were  ten  or  twelve  specimens  of 
the  baobab,  called  in  Malagasy,  the  Botona.  Of  the  great 
baobab  I  obtained  a  good  photograph :  the  tree  is  over 
sixty  feet  high :  and  the  trunk  near  the  ground  is  forty 
feet  in  girth. 

The  lower  town  extends  half  a  mile  along  the  shore  :  in 
the  central  parts  it  is  five  rows  of  houses  deep  :  at  the  east 
end  these  are  thinner.  These  houses  are  very  light  and 
frail :  they  have  a  wooden  frame  :  but  the  panels  are 
rilled  in  with  palmetto  leaves,  which  form  a  pretty  pattern  : 
they  are  thatched  with  larger  leaves  of  the  cocoanut  and 
palm.  They  are  of  course  very  inflammable  and  one  does 
not  wonder  to  hear  that  the  town  is  burnt  down  nearly 
once  a  year.  At  the  west  end  of  the  town  on  a  spit  of 
sand  in  the  market,  with  a  vast  collection  of  bullocks 
skulls,  bones  and  remnants :  the  smell  of  which  was 
dreadful. 

An  important  element  in  the  lower  town  is  the  Hindu 


OUR  JOURNEY  TO  MOJANGA. 


315 


and  Arab  houses,  which  are  employed  both  as  residences 
for  their  owners  and  as  safe  storehouses  for  goods.  They 
are  built  on  the  Indian  pattern  :  they  are  of  solid  material, 
stone  or  brick,  cemented  with  lime  dug  from  the  hill ; 
they  are  of  two  or  three  stories;  have  flat  roofs  and 
terraces,  and  contain  small  rooms.  There  are  about  forty 
of  these  houses  in  the  town :  they  have  been  built  by 
Malagasy  workmen,  look  rough  and  coarse  :  and  are  wholly 
wanting  in  the  neatness  and  finish  which  are  given  to  such 
houses  in  Calcutta  or  Bombay.  The  town  has  two 
mosques :  one  for  the  Arab  merchants :  and  one  for  the 
Mahomedan  traders  from  Bombay,  whose  customs  doubt- 
less differ  in  some  points  from  one  another.  Eival  muez- 
zins, morning  and  evening,  summon  the  faithful  to  their 
prayers. 

The  number  of  houses  amounts  to  1327 :  and  the  entire 
population  reaches  probably  to  ten  thousand.  The  Hova 
element  is  very  strong.  The  Indian  adults  are  about  fifty. 
There  are  a  few  Sakalavas  in  both  towns :  and  the  African 
slaves,  universally  called  by  the  Malagasy  "  Mojambikas," 
are  very  numerous.  Their  skin  is  very  dark:  and  they 
have  thick  lips  and  curling  hair.  But  they  are  not  pure 
negroes.  They  belong  to  various  tribes  on  the  east  coast 
of  Africa,  who  all  understand  more  or  less  the  Swahili 
language. 

The  port  of  Mojanga  has  long  been  known  to  history. 
The  entire  districts  of  Ambongo  and  Iboina  belonged 
originally  to  the  Sakalava  tribes.  But  the  Arab  traders 
from  East  Africa  and  the  Persian  Gulf  found  them  out 
centuries  ago :  and  it  was  from  them  that  Marco  Polo 
heard  about  the  island.    Several  generations  back  these 


316 


OUR  JOURNEY  TO  MO  JANG  A. 


Arab  merchants  made  themselves  strong  as  advisers  of  the 
Sakalava  princes  ;  and  all  last  century  they  had  the  chief 
power  in  their  hands.  They  held  the  fort  on  the  hill; 
were  masters  of  the  trading  settlement.  And  of  course 
were  deeply  involved  in  the  slave  trade.  The  high-handed 
proceedings  of  the  Portuguese  fleets,  and  the  later  piracies 
of  Captain  Kyd  and  his  companions  had  crippled  their  com- 
merce, but  had  not  destroyed  it :  and  as  the  Indian  trade, 
after  the  days  of  Admiral  Watson  and  the  destruction  of 
Saverndrog  once  more  grew  secure,  the  strength  of  the 
Arab  trade  also  was  renewed.  Mojanga  was  a  strong  place 
in  1824 :  the  town  was  then  a  mile  long ;  and  it  contained 
a  considerable  population  of  Arab  blood,  "  whose  fathers 
had  been  there  from  time  immemorial."  Eadama  had  cast 
his  eyes  on  the  district  and  in  1824,  he  had  his  first  expe- 
dition down  to  the  coast.  He  was  seconded  with  great 
energy  and  skill  by  his  brother-in-law  and  cousin,  Eama- 
netaka  ;  and  Mojanga  and  all  its  companions  fell  into  his 
hands.  The  district  rose  in  rebellion  the  following  year : 
but  it  was  again  subdued,  and  Eamanetaka  was  appointed 
the  first  governor.  The  town  is  said  to  have  been  burnt, 
a  thing  quite  probable ;  but  it  must  have  been  rebuilt.  It 
was  far  more  seriously  affected  by  the  stoppage  of  the  slave 
trade,  on  which  Eadama  insisted ;  according  to  his  recent 
treaties  with  the  English  government.  Since  then,  with 
varying  fortunes,  it  has  remained  in  Hova  hands. 

With  the  year  1874  the  British  India  Steam  Navigation 
Company  have  made  an  enterprising  attempt  to  increase 
the  trade  of  Mojanga,  by  linking  it  on  to  their  steam  lines 
to  Zanzibar  and  Aden.  Having  obtained  a  ten  years' 
contract  with  the  French  government  to  carry  the  mails 


OUR  JOURNEY  TO  MOJANGA. 


317 


from  Zanzibar,  through  the  Comoro  Islands  to  Nosibe,  of 
their  own  accord  they  have  extended  the  steamer's  course, 
without  contract,  from  Xosibe  to  Mojanga :  and  during 
1874  a  visit  has  been  paid  to  the  port  once  a  month. 
The  effort  is  a  most  praiseworthy  one.  It  deserves  to 
succeed.  Its  success  would  prove  a  great  benefit  to  the 
island.    But  what  are  its  prospects  ? 

Fully  developed,  the  export  and  import  trade  of 
Mojanga  should  include  two  distinct  elements :  the  local 
trade  (among  the  garrison  towns  and  the  Sakalavas  of  the 
district) :  and  the  through  trade  with  the  Central  Provinces 
and  the  Capital,  Antananarivo.  In  favour  of  this  through 
trade,  is  the  consideration  that  the  gradients  of  the  country 
are  easy ;  and  were  villages  planted  in  line,  as  they  might 
easily  be,  at  short  distances  through  Xo-man's  land,  the 
entire  line  of  traffic  could  be  made  safe,  as  well  as  easy, 
and  the  direct  connection  with  Europe  would  be  complete. 
On  the  other  side  it  has  to  be  remembered  that  that  direct 
trade  is  of  moderate  value  ;  that  the  bearers  are  thoroughly 
used  to  the  Tamatave  road ;  and  that  they  asked  twenty- 
six  shillings  a  man  for  the  Mojanga  trip,  as  against 
ten  shillings  a  man  for  that  to  Tamatave.  The  chief 
element  of  the  outward  trade  of  the  island  is  bullocks  and 
hides;  and  as  sailing  ships  carry  these  articles  between 
Port  Louis  and  Tamatave,  they  are  available  for  bringing 
the  direct  imports  at  cheaper  rates  of  freight  than  would 
prevail  in  the  purely  steam  line  from  Mojanga. 

What  then  are  the  prospects  of  the  local  trade  ? 
Hitherto  it  has  been  very  poor  for  three  reasons.  The 
Sakalava  population  in  the  whole  district  is  not  numerous : 
the  people  are  poor,  ignorant  and  uncivilised :  they  have 


318 


OUE  JOURNEY  TO  MO  JANG  A. 


few  wants :  they  get  fish  from  the  rivers ;  plantains  from 
their  gardens ;  beef  from  their  flocks  and  herds :  their 
houses  cost  them  a  little  labour :  a  few  hides  will  purchase 
their  clothes  :  at  present  they  produce  little  more  than 
they  can  use :  they  sell  a  few  hides,  a  little  rice,  a  little 
bees'  wax.  The  Hova  officers  and  garrisons  in  the  district 
are  poor :  they  live  upon  the  public  allowances  :  they  are 
numerous :  they  produce  very  little  :  the  idlers  and 
hangers-on  form  a  little  army :  what  money  have  they 
with  which  to  purchase  goods  ?  The  largest  portion  of  the 
public  allowances  consists  of  food  of  various  kinds :  only 
a  certain  surplus  gathers  in  the  hands  of  the  chief  officers  : 
and  they  are  the  only  traders.  This  brings  up  the  third 
difficulty  in  the  way  of  trade :  a  difficulty  felt  all  over 
Madagascar.  The  number  of  masters,  of  various  grades, 
doing  nothing,  living  without  pay,  and  living  on  what 
they  can  squeeze  out  of  slaves  and  clients  below  them,  is 
countless.  Christian  justice  is  softening  down  these  things ; 
but  changes  in  the  laws  and  life  of  the  people  are  essential 
to  any  great  improvement.  And  even  with  these  changes 
we  must  give  the  people  time  to  adapt  themselves  to  their 
new  circumstances:  while  vested  interests  die  out  and 
public  opinion  becomes  settled  and  grows  strong. 

We  spent  a  most  pleasant  Sabbath  with  our  friends  in 
Mojanga.  In  the  morning  we  worshipped  with  the  church 
in  the  garrison :  in  the  afternoon,  we  attended  the  church 
in  the  lower  town.  We  saw  a  good  deal  of  the  fine  old 
governor  and  his  family.  And  we  were  specially  pleased 
with  the  young  pastor,  Bakotobao ;  of  whom  Sir  Bartle 
Frere  spoke  so  kindly  in  his  letters  to  the  Foreign  Office 
and  in  his  address  at  Exeter  Hall.    From  the  sermons  he 


OUR  JOURNEY  TO  MO  JANG  A. 


319 


preached  to-day;  from  his  views  about  church  life  and  dis- 
cipline ;  and  from  the  spiritual  influence  he  is  exercising 
over  the  two  congregations  here,  we  judged  him  worthy  of 
all  the  commendation  he  received  and  even  of  more. 
He  has  only  been  here  eighteen  months,  and  things  have 
greatly  improved. 

We  learned  that  the  ordinary  attendance  in  one  of  these 
churches  is  three  hundred  :  in  the  other,  two  hundred  and 
thirty.  There  are  fifty-six  members  in  the  two :  and  all 
join  together  in  celebrating  the  communion.  They  have 
among  them  six  preachers  and  six  deacons.  There  are 
sixty  children  in  the  school :  of  whom  thirty  can  read 
well.  Some  thirty  adults  can  read.  Six  or  seven  Sakalavas 
attend  worship.  In  receiving  members,  they  follow  the 
rule  prevailing  at  the  Capital  of  two  months'  probation ; 
then  the  case  comes  before  the  whole  church.  In  a  similar 
way,  if  a  member  goes  astray,  he  is  visited  and  counsel 
given  him ;  if  unrepentant,  he  is  dealt  with  by  the  whole 
church.  In  visiting  the  twelve  churches  in  the  district  in 
1871,  the  pastor  formed  schools  in  them  all. 

The  Sakalavas  as  a  people  have  not  yet  been  reached. 
In  some  places  as  at  Trabonjy,  a  number  of  them  attend 
worship ;  but  they  need  to  be  dealt  with  very  cautiously 
to  prevent  their  going  off  altogether.  Their  regard  for 
Christianity  is  more  a  sign  of  their  political  relation  to  the 
Hovas  than  a  token  that  the  gospel  has  fairly  taken  hold 
of  them.  Work  among  the  Sakalavas  has  yet  to  begin  at 
the  beginning. 

We  asked  ourselves  whether  we  should  recommend  the 
Board  to  place  an  English  missionary  in  this  district.  Our 
judgment  is  that  such  an  appointment  is  most  desirable.- 


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OUR  JOURNEY  TO  MO  JANG  A. 


We  would  not  urge  the  Board  to  enter  upon  new  ground, 
and  commence  an  entirely  new  mission.  But  all  the 
good  in  the  Sihanaka  Mission  and  in  this  Mojanga  district 
has  sprung  from  our  old  work ;  is  based  upon  it ;  and  in 
order  to  complete  the  old,  these  elements  in  it  should 
without  delay  be  heartily  followed  up.  We  should  thus 
consolidate  and  strengthen  the  good  already  existing ;  we 
should  gather  new  fruit  from  past  efforts  ;  and  prepare  the 
way  for  new  movements  and  local  extensions  by  the  native 
churches  themselves. 

We  had  hoped  to  remain  in  Mojanga  for  six  days.  But 
to  our  surprise  the  Malacca  came  into  the  bay  on  Monday 
morning ;  and  would  leave  again  on  Wednesday.  We  had 
however  only  to  select  the  tents  and  other  portions  of  our 
travelling  gear,  which  we  no  longer  needed  and  which  we 
purposed  to  hand  over  for  the  use  of  the  mission.  Our 
baggage  for  board  ship  packed  into  very  small  compass* 
We  saw  the  young  pastor  once  more  :  completed  our  pre- 
parations ;  and  said  our  farewells  to  the  willing  and  careful 
men,  who  had  travelled  with  us  so  often  and  so  far.  Then 
the  school  children  sang  to  us  as  we  went  into  the  boats  : 
and  so  we  quitted  the  land,  in  which  we  had  spent  a 
delightful  twelvemonth,  and  a  people,  among  whom  the 
grace  of  God  has  wrought  great  marvels,  in  the  face  of  a 
sceptical  and  unbelieving  world. 


CHAPTER  X. 


OUR  RETURN  HOME. 


Domestic  Slavery  in  Madagascar — Ancient  Trade  in  Slaves — Radama's 
Treaty  with  Governor  Farquhar  well  observed — Similar  clause  in  the 
Treaty  of  1865 — Slaves  imported  nevertheless — Capture  of  Slaves  by 
the  Vulture — Successful  efforts  against  the  Slave-trade — Recent  Pro- 
clamation of  the  Queen  of  Madagascar — Our  Return  Home — The 
new  Bishopric  in  Madagascar — Its  aggressive  attitude  and  spirit — 
God's  care  of  His  people. 


X 


CHAPTER  X. 


OUR  RETURN  HOME. 


Throughout  our  visit  we  felt  that  there  is  one  very  weak 
point  in  Malagasy  social  life,  the  system  of  domestic 
slavery.  We  saw  it ;  we  touched  it  at  many  points ;  it 
forced  itself  continually  upon  our  attention.  And  we  were 
glad  to  find  that  many  thoughtful  men  among  the  upper 
classes  of  Malagasy  society  feel  it  to  be  a  serious  evil, 
which  must  some  day  be  carefully  considered  by  the 
Malagasy  people  and  be  entirely  abolished.  It  is  an 
ancient  institution  in  the  island  :  and  as  in  other  lands, 
for  the  sake  of  a  present  and  temporary  advantage,  it  has 
done,  and  is  still  doing,  deep  and  permanent  harm.  It  has 
been  fed  from  two  sources,  without  and  within.  From 
abroad  there  have  been  imported  into  Madagascar  a  multi- 
tude of  pure  Africans,  who  have  to  some  extent  been 
absorbed  into  the  community,  and  have  tainted  the  pure 
Malagasy  blood.  Many  individuals  in  the  highest  Hova 
families  have  crisp  woolly  hair  and  thick  lips,  even  with 
the  high  forehead  and  straight  nose  of  the  Malay  races. 
From  within  the  slave-class  has  been  increased  by  captives 
in  war  from  all  the  native  tribes,  Hova  and  Betsileo,  as 
well  as  Sakalavas ;  also  by  the  criminal  classes,  whether 


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OUR  RETURN  HOME. 


condemned  for  theft  and  murder,  or  (in  the  dark  days)  for 
the  crime  of  reading  the  Word  of  God.  In  general  slaves 
are  very  cheap  :  they  may  be  purchased  for  as  little  as  ten 
dollars,  or  for  as  much  as  forty  and  fifty.  To  possess 
slaves  is  one  sign  of  respectability :  and  many  a  man, 
especially  of  Hova  blood,  who  has  redeemed  himself  from 
bondage,  as  soon  as  he  can  manage  it,  will  buy  slaves  for 
himself.  The  general  effect  of  the  system  is  to  degrade 
labour,  to  give  the  community  the  idea  that  people  of 
station  should  not  work,  but  should  live  on  the  labour  of 
others.  Slaves  are  held  in  large  numbers  by  the  leaders  of 
society :  some  individuals  own  hundreds ;  and  some  have 
even  two  and  three  thousand  slaves.  Many  excellent 
Christians  own  them  :  many  pastors  of  churches  have  them. 
And  the  churches  and  congregations  are  filled  with  slaves. 
The  system  is  local  and  domestic.  Christianity  is  greatly 
affecting  it  and  influencing  it  for  good.  As  a  rule  it  is  not 
harshly  administered.  Opportunities  are  of  frequent  occur- 
rence under  which  slaves  can  purchase  their  freedom  either 
by  their  own  efforts  or  by  loans  from  their  friends.  The 
male  slaves  too  have  a  great  deal  of  independence  both  in 
action  and  spirit.  They  are  allowed  to  earn  money,  to 
carry  burdens  to  great  distances,  and  to  receive  the  price 
of  their  service.  Sometimes  they  give  their  owners  no- 
thing :  at  other  times  they  agree  to  give  a  portion,  say 
half  their  earnings.  Sometimes  the  owners  are  hard  and 
selfish  and  demand  the  whole.  In  such  cases  spirited 
slaves  run  off.  The  country  is  large  and  wide :  Roman's 
land  is  not  distant ;  and  the  injured  people  go  to  another 
part  of  the  country  and  settle  in  the  forests  or  dig  new 
land.    Under  the  influence  of  Christianity,  and  in  the 


OUR  RETURN  HOME. 


325 


absence  of  any  imperative  demand  for  produce  of  special 
kinds,  this  domestic  slavery  has  become  serfdom  rather 
than  slavery :  and  there  are  many  points  of  resemblance 
between  it  and  the  former  system  of  Bussia.  The  most 
prominent  among  its  evil  effects  at  the  present  time  is  that 
it  encourages  and  increases  the  general  idleness  of  the 
community,  and  renders  all  labour  inefficient ;  because  to 
such  a  large  extent  feudal  service,  as  well  as  slavery,  denies 
to  the  man  who  would  he  industrious,  any  large  share  in 
the  fruits  of  his  industry.  As  there  spread  among  the 
community  a  deeper  sense  of  what  is  just  between  man 
and  man,  a  deeper  respect  for  good  women,  slave  as  well 
as  free,  and  a  truer  estimate  of  the  worth  of  men  as  men, 
the  way  will  be  prepared  for  a  right  settlement  of  these 
important  questions  ;  and  the  relations  of  the  members  of 
the  community  to  one  another  will  be  placed  upon  a 
healthy  footing. 

The  system  was  in  a  much  worse  position  in  former 
days  than  it  is  now.  Before  Eadama  I.  inaugurated  the 
great  change,  the  trade  in  slaves,  both  for  home  use  and 
foreign  export,  was  very  active.  We  have  already  seen 
how  captives  in  war,  even  of  Hova  and  Betsileo  blood, 
were  fastened  in  gangs  and  sent  down  to  Tamatave  to  be 
sold  to  Mauritius  and  Bourbon,  to  the  Cape  and  to  the 
West  Indies.  Eadama,  when  appealed  to  by  Governor 
Farquhar,  heartily  acknowledged  the  wrong  and  set  him- 
self to  remedy  it.  The  "  vested  interests  "  among  his 
people  were  the  chief  difficulty :  but  his  shrewdness  and 
his  strong  will  carried  the  day.  The  Treaty  was  made  : 
and  he  and  his  people  steadily  kept  it.  For  a  while  it 
produced  a  great  change  on  both  coasts,  and  Mojanga  and 


326 


OUR  RETURN  HOME. 


its  neighbours  lost  a  considerable  trade.  The  treaties  all 
broke  down  in  the  days  of  his  successor :  but  when  the 
late  Queen  Easoherina  in  1865  renewed  a  Treaty  with  the 
English  government,  among  other  humane  enactments,  the 
clause  against  the  foreign  slave  trade  was  a^ain  inserted 
and  put  in  force. 

By  the  Hova  Government  it  is  still  observed  :  and  there 
is  reason  to  believe  that  by  the  Government  and  by  the 
officers  and  people  generally  any  infringement  of  its  stipu- 
lations is  disapproved.  But  the  territory  is  larger  than 
the  government.  Over  the  unfriendly  Sakalavas  on  the 
west  coast  they  have  no  control  whatever.  The  officers  in 
the  garrison  towns  among  the  friendly  tribes  apparently 
tamper  with  the  evil.  And  individuals  are  freely  named 
both  in  Imerina  and  in  the  provinces  who  are  said  privately 
to  soil  their  hands  with  the  traffic  and  to  make  from  it 
large  profits.  The  Arab  and  Hindu  merchants  live  on  the 
coast :  the  Arab  dhows  run  backward  and  forward  between 
the  west  coast  of  the  island  and  Mozambique :  they  are 
said  to  run  their  vessels,  not  into  Mojanga  Bay,  but  up  the 
deep  river  Loza,  some  forty  miles  to  the  north,  or  into  the 
quiet  bays  away  from  the  Hova  towns.  And  Sir  Bartle 
Frere  not  only  exposed  the  system,  as  the  result  of  his 
inquiries  on  both  sides  the  Mozambique  Channel :  but  he 
avers  on  good  grounds  that  the  number  of  Africans,  run  in 
by  these  vessels,  amounts  to  six  thousand  a  year. 

That  the  import  trade  into  Madagascar  has  been  active 
to  the  present  time  we  can  ourselves  testify.  Not  seldom 
were  pure  African  slaves,  knowing  but  little  of  the  Mala- 
gasy tongue,  met  with  in  the  Capital  and  other  parts  of 
Imerina.    The  people  in  general  know  them  as  "Mojam- 


OUR  RETURN  HOME. 


327 


bikas."  Still  more  numerous  did  we  find  them  in  the 
seven  garrison  towns  in  the  north-west.  Several  came 
round  us  in  Mevatanana.  Marovoay  was  full  of  them.  In 
Mojanga  they  form  a  large  portion  of  the  population  in  the 
lower  town.  And  they  all  have  a  great  dislike  to  the 
Hovas,  whom  they  regard  as  the  authors  of  their  exile  and 
captivity.  The  other  proof  of  the  activity  of  the  trade  is 
found  in  the  important  captures  that  have  been  made, 
since  the  vessels  of  the  English  navy  and  their  crews  on 
boat-service,  have  been  hunting  down  the  slave  dhows 
during  the  last  three  years.  Capt.  Sullivan  in  his  Dhoiv- 
chasin g  on  the  coast  of  Africa  has  testified  amply  to  the 
reality,  the  effectiveness  and  the  success  of  this  work.  The 
captures  by  the  Daphne  are  well  known  :  others  of  the 
greatest  value  were  made  by  the  Thetis  and  the  Vulture 
during  the  period  of  our  visit. 

My  colleague  and  I  had  just  embarked  at  Mojanga,  on 
board  the  Malacca,  which  was  ready  to  sail  for  Zanzibar, 
when  the  Vulture  came  into  the  Bay,  and  we  were  invited  on 
board.  We  found  the  open  deck  covered  with  Africans, 
captured  out  of  a  slave-dhow  the  previous  day :  and  near 
them,  sitting  in  a  corner  by  themselves,  were  thirty-seven 
Arabs,  crew  and  "  passengers,"  alias  slave-dealers,  who  had 
had  the  unhappy  people  in  charge.  Commander  Brooke 
welcomed  us  to  his  vessel  and  kindly  explained  to  us  what 
had  occurred.  He  had  been  cruising  about  the  coast  for 
some  time,  and  several  of  his  boats  were  away,  examining 
the  bays  and  river  mouths  to  the  northward.  Yesterday 
morning  they  had  spied  a  dhow  making  for  the  land,  but 
with  little  progress,  owing  to  the  light  wind.  His  steamer 
was  soon  alongside;  the  flag  was  hauled  down  and  his  men 


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OUR  RETURN  HOME. 


went  on  board  to  take  possession.  Having  sent  away  the 
crew,  they  proceeded  to  open  the  slaver's  hold.  They 
lifted  out  several  children,  and  then  one  of  the  men  said 
to  the  officer,  "  Sir,  these  are  only  at  the  top  :  there  are  three 
tiers  of  them ;  and  the  men  and  women  are  at  the  bottom." 
Exhausted,  attenuated,  wholly  unable  to  stand,  the  poor 
creatures  were  carefully  lifted  out,  one  by  one,  into  the 
boats,  were  rowed  to  the  Vulture  and  placed  upon  her 
deck.  There  were  two  hundred  and  thirty-six  in  all: 
forty-two  men,  fifty-seven  women,  and  a  hundred  and 
thirty-seven  children.  They  had  all  been  packed,  like 
herrings,  in  the  hold  of  the  dhow  in  a  space,  a  yard  and  a 
half  high,  the  little  ones  at  the  top.  They  had  been  seven 
days  on  board  ;  and  had  been  nearly  starved.  The  dhow 
had  all  but  made  good  her  voyage,  when  in  God's  provi- 
dence, she  was  captured  and  her  victims  were  set  free.  I 
had  often  read  of  the  "horrors  of  the  middle  passage:" 
but  they  never  came  home  to  me  as  they  did  then.  Poor 
people  !  Many  of  them  were  injured  by  their  cruel  con- 
finement beyond  recovery.  The  Vulture  carried  them  to 
the  English  colony  in  Sechelles :  but  before  their  ten  days' 
voyage  was  completed,  seventeen  of  them  were  dead. 
Since  our  return  to  England  we  have  seen  with  pleasure 
that  the  Vulture  and  her  companions  have  made  other 
captures :  that  the  squadron  on  the  East  Coast  of  Africa 
has  been  strengthened  :  and  that  the  English  government 
and  people  are  determined  to  have  the  trade  stopped. 

Apparently  the  Madagascar  government  and  people  have 
adopted  the  same  resolve.  It  was  with  special  satisfaction 
that  only  a  few  weeks  ago  the  friends  of  the  mission 
received  the  proclamation  issued  by  the  Queen  in  jSTovem- 


OUR  RETURN  HOME. 


329 


ber  last,  under  which  every  African  slave  imported  into 
the  island  since  the  date  of  the  treaty  in  June  1865  has 
been  set  free,  and  is  allowed  either  to  remain  in  Mada- 
gascar a  free  subject,  or  to  return  to  Africa.  If  well 
carried  out  that  arrangement  ought  to  ruin  the  Arab  slave 
trade  in  the  island  and  completely  stop  the  importation. 
We  may  well  hope  that  in  due  time  the  difficult  problems 
connected  with  the  domestic  system  will  also  be  solved, 
and  the  system  entirely  disappear. 

We  left  Mojanga  in  the  Malacca  on  Wednesday,  August 
12th :  having  been  in  the  island  of  Madagascar  twelve 
months,  wanting  two  days.  What  a  comfort  it  was  to 
travel  and  sleep  in  a  clean,  bright  English  steamer,  instead 
of  in  close  packed  canoes  and  unswept  chapels.  I  need 
not  describe  the  journey.  I  may  not  dwell  on  the  wide 
Bays  of  the  north-west  coast,  the  Hova  Stations,  or  the 
great  hills  :  I  cannot  describe  our  visit  to  the  island  of 
Nosibe  with  its  many  craters  ;  our  run  through  the  Comoro 
Islands ;  the  beauties  of  Johannna :  and  the  pleasure  we 
derived  from  a  week's  stay  in  Zanzibar.  Again  we  touched 
at  Aden,  more  interesting  than  ever  in  its  connection  with 
the  native  navigation  of  these  Eastern  Seas ;  just  saw  the 
minarets  of  Suez  and  the  palaces  of  Alexandria ;  skirted 
the  barren  shores  of  Messenia ;  saw  the  spires  of  Loretto ; 
and  were  rowed  along  the  canals  of  Venice ;  and  at  length 
were  welcomed  once  more  to  home  and  work  in  London, 
on  the  evening  of  Tuesday,  Sept.  22  nd,  after  an  absence  of 
fifteen  months. 

My  visit  to  Madagascar  not  merely  afforded  me  intense 
pleasure  ;  it  gave  me  a  very  high  idea  of  the  spiritual  work 
going  on  amongst  its  people.    Erom  reading  and  correspon- 


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OUR  BE  TURN  HOME. 


dence  that  work  had  for  years  appeared  to  me,  as  to  others, 
truly  marvellous.  I  found  it  all  that  I  had  hoped,  and 
even  more.  In  certain  respects  its  form  differed  from  what 
I  looked  for :  the  outward  civilisation  of  the  Malagasy  was 
less  advanced.  But  the  tide  of  Chrstian  life  through  all 
the  Central  Provinces  and  its  offshoots  was  flowing  wider, 
deeper,  stronger  than  I  had  imagined.  The  Christian  reno- 
vation of  the  Malagasy  people  is  truly  the  work  of  God ; 
and  by  the  direct  use  of  his  own  instruments,  the  teaching 
of  the  Word,  the  bestowment  of  gracious  gifts,  and  the 
discipline  of  sorrow,  the  Holy  Ghost  has  long  been  leading, 
not  individuals  only,  but  multitudes  of  the  nation  toward 
himself.  It  was  a  source  of  the  greatest  satisfaction  to  my 
colleague  and  myself  that  in  the  spirit  and  the  aims  of 
the  four  evangelical  missions  working  side  by  side  in 
Imerina,  we  found  nothing  to  mar  that  Divine  work,  but 
every  thing  to  carry  it  forward,  in  dependence  upon  the 
Saviour's  blessing  and  to  his  praise.  And  what  we  desire 
and  hope  for  these  Malagasy  converts  is  that  they  may 
grow  up  unto  the  full  stature  of  men  in  Christ  Jesus,  not 
as  a  branch  of  any  English  Church  or  Denomination,  but 
as  a  veritable  Malagasy  Church,  organised  in  a  way  natural 
to  itself,  worshipping  God  in  its  own  fashion,  and  offering 
its  own  contribution  of  national  life  and  faith  and  love  at 
the  feet  of  the  Saviour. 

Therefore  it  is  that  we  join  heartily  in  the  objections 
which  have  been  offered  by  many  Christian  Churches  in 
England,  though  offered  unsuccessfully,  against  the  attempt 
which  has  been  made  to  turn  aside  our  Malagasy  Churches 
from  their  simple  faith,  and  annex  them  to  a  foreign  in- 
stitution, the  Episcopal  Church  of  England.    So  far  as  a 


OUR  RETURN  HOME. 


331 


Bishopric  in  Madagascar  or  the  visits  of  a  Bishop  from 
Mauritius,  were  intended  to  complete  the  framework  of  the 
Episcopal  Churches  and  congregations  gathered  in  the 
island,  while  the  necessary  arrangements  involved  no 
attack  upon  churches  which  had  long  preceded  them,  the 
Directors  of  the  London  Missionary  Society  and  other 
Christian  men  declined  to  interfere.  But  established  as 
that  Bishopric  has  now  been,  in  the  face  of  remonstrance, 
planted  as  it  is  in  the  very  midst  of  our  oldest  churches, 
with  the  avowed  purpose  of  "  showing  "  to  those  churches 
"  a  more  excellent  way,"  the  way  of  the  Church  of  Eng- 
land, they  regard  it  as  an  intrusion,  they  regard  it  as  an 
aggression ;  they  hold  it  therefore  to  be  an  injustice  to 
themselves  ;  and  they  hold  it  to  be  a  great  wrong  to  the 
native  churches.  If  the  missionaries  of  the  many  churches 
of  Christendom,  labouring  in  foreign  countries,  have  learned 
one  lesson  more  than  another  in  their  common  toil,  it  is 
this,  not  to  trouble  their  children  in  the  faith,  the  converts 
new  from  heathenism,  with  outside  questions  of  church 
order,  but  to  do  their  utmost  to  lead  them  to  the  Saviour 
and  the  highest  forms  of  inner  spiritual  life.  It  cannot 
therefore  be  otherwise  than  a  wrong,  a  hindrance  and  an 
"  offence  "  to  these  "  little  ones,"  when  another  English- 
man enters  among  these  churches  and  says  :  "  I  alone 
teach  and  hold  Christianity  in  the  true  way :  your  mis- 
sionaries are  not  authorised  teachers;  I  cannot  worship 
with  them  or  attend  their  prayer-meetings  ;  and  so  long  as 
you  do  not  join  me  as  your  Bishop,  I  cannot  worship  in 
your  churches  or  pray  with  you."  The  advocates  of  this 
project  little  know  the  intensity  of  disapproval  with  which 
it  has  been  regarded  by  all  churches  in  Great  Britain 


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outside  their  own.  I  have  talked  with  many  laymen  of 
the  Church  of  England  respecting  the  scheme.  I  have 
never  heard  one  of  them  defend  or  approve  it. 

I  feel  objection  to  it  the  more  strongly,  that  it  ignores 
entirely  the  past  history  of  the  mission  and  the  mode  in 
which  God  himself  has  been  dealing  with  his  Malagasy 
children.  Nothing  more  instructive  than  that  method  has 
been  seen  in  the  history  of  Christianity.  He  has  led  them 
himself ;  and  has  guided  them,  sustained  them,  moulded 
them,  taught  them,  in  ways  so  simple,  so  efficient,  so 
loving,  that  his  work  and  its  fruit  are  at  this  hour  the  joy 
and  the  praise  of  the  whole  Christian  Church.  Stereo- 
typed systems  seem  to  me  wholly  out  of  place  among  a 
people  so  directed.  Indeed  stereotyped  methods  in  mis- 
sionary work  ought  everywhere  to  be  carefully  avoided.  "I  ( 
believe  in  the  Holy  Ghost."  I  believe  that  He  lives  still 
in  the  church  as  the  guide  and  helper  of  all  who  work  for 
Him :  and  that  it  is  when  we  appeal  to  Him  most  fully 
and  cast  ourselves  upon  Him  most  freely,  that  He  will 
"  make  all  grace  abound  "  to  his  children,  and  varied  as  the 
works  of  creation  among  which  they  dwell,  He  will  make 
the  scenes,  the  history,  the  fruitfulness  of  the  churches 
which  He  gathers  around  the  Cross  of  Christ. 

Let  us  then  fearlessly  and  lovingly  commit  these 
Malagasy  converts  and  churches  into  His  hands.  He  can 
preserve  them  from  all  evil.  He  knows  them  well  and 
has  loved  them  lon^.  He  brought  their  fathers  across  the 
sea  to  raise  up  a  people  whose  Christian  faithfulness  all 
tribes  and  tongues  should  know.  He  formed  their  land 
and  endowed  it  with  its  many  rich  resources  for  their  good. 
He  pours  the  sun-flood  on  the  moist,  warm  earth, 


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333 


breathes  over  field  and  forest  in  the  summer  days  rich  airs 
like  fragrant  wine,  and  sends  on  all  the  toil  and  all  the 
prayer  of  his  struggling  children  Divine  benediction  and 
peace.  He  has  never  forgotten  earing  and  harvest ;  he 
maketh  grass  to  grow  for  the  cattle,  and  herb  for  the 
service  of  man ;  and  fills  all  hearts  with  food  and  gladness 
throughout  the  varied  seasons  of  the  revolving  year.  The 
towering  palm  with  its  feathery  crown,  the  massive  bread- 
fruit, the  lithe  bamboo  with  its  trembling  leaves,  and  the 
tall  tree-fern  with  its  shady  fronds,  grow  at  His  bidding. 
He  clothes  the  huge  timber-trees  with  moss  and  lichen, 
binds  together  their  massive  arms  with  the  tough,  pliant 
creeper,  or  covers  them  with  ferns,  or  brightens  their 
sombre  hue  with  myriads  of  orchids  and  their  soft  waxy 
flowers.  All  living  creatures  are  His  daily  care :  the 
creeping  lizard  and  the  spotted  snake,  the  great  spider 
with  his  silver  coat,  and  the  locust-clouds,  whirring  as 
they  fly.  He  made  the  gentle  lemur  with  its  ring  of  fur, 
the  little  aye-aye  that  gropes  for  its  rich  morsels  in  the 
darkness,  and  the  huge  butterflies  which  flit  joyously  in 
the  sun.  The  forces  of  nature  are  under  His  command. 
He  lays  His  hand  upon  the  violet  lightning ;  He  guides 
the  course  of  the  great  waterspouts ;  forms  in  the  upper 
sky  the  rattling  hail ;  and  arches  the  drenched  earth  with 
the  warm  radiance  of  His  promised  bow. 

He  who  has  given  all  this,  shall  He  not  give  still  more  ? 
"  Is  not  the  life  more  than  meat,  and  the  body  than 
raiment?"  "  Man  doth  not  live  by  bread  alone."  From 
Him  came  the  Gospel  which  enlightened  their  fathers,  and 
the  faith  that  led  them  to  accept  and  obey  it.  From  Him 
came  the  priceless  privilege  of  their  hard  trainiog,  their 


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baptism  of  blood,  of  fire,  and  of  tears.  Thence  sprang  the 
manliness  of  their  children,  their  strong  convictions,  their 
clear  knowledge,  and  that  firm  grasp  of  the  truth  from 
which,  like  the  skin  of  the  chrysalis,  idolatry  has  died 
away,  leaving  the  nation  free  to  unfold  the  wings  of  a 
new  life,  to  bask  in  the  sunlight  of  divine  love,  and  breathe 
the  fragrance  of  the  upper  air. 

The  very  hairs  of  their  head  are  all  numbered.  The  Son 
of  God  has  come  down  among  them,  working  for  them 
wondrously,  living  in  them,  leading  them  onward.  Let  us 
pray  for  them,  and  commit  them  fearlessly  into  His  hands. 
In  the  face  of  all  evil  powers  He  has  said,  "  Behold  I  have 
refined  thee,  but  not  with  silver :  I  have  chosen  thee  in 
the  furnace  of  affliction:"  "  This  people  have  I  formed  for 
myself,  they  shall  shew  forth  my  praise."  Therefore,  "  As 
the  mountains  are  round  about  Jerusalem,  so  the  Lord  is 
round  about  His  people."  "  The  God  of  Israel  is  he  that 
giveth  strength  and  power  unto  his  people.  Blessed  be 
God." 


THE  END. 


DUNCAN  GKANT  AND  CO.,  PRINTERS,  EDINBURGH. 


